Electricity generation per person in China
China: Electricity generation per person was 7,474 kilowatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
7,474 kilowatt-hours
Change on year
up 5.2%
World rank
34th
of 214 countries
All-time high
7,474 kilowatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
387.51 kilowatt-hours
in 1985
Years of data
41
1985–2025
Electricity generation per person in China, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours.
Analysis
China recorded 7,474 kilowatt-hours for electricity generation per person in 2025. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.2% on the previous year and up 79.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation per person in China peaked at 7,474 kilowatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 387.51 kilowatt-hours, in 1985.
That places China 34th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation per person in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 387.51 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 417.3 kilowatt-hours | +7.7% |
| 1987 | 453.62 kilowatt-hours | +8.7% |
| 1988 | 488.87 kilowatt-hours | +7.8% |
| 1989 | 515.71 kilowatt-hours | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 538.5 kilowatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 578.71 kilowatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 1992 | 636.47 kilowatt-hours | +10.0% |
| 1993 | 677.85 kilowatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 767.41 kilowatt-hours | +13.2% |
| 1995 | 825.34 kilowatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 1996 | 878.44 kilowatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1997 | 914.92 kilowatt-hours | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 932.97 kilowatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 983.43 kilowatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 1,068 kilowatt-hours | +8.6% |
| 2001 | 1,158 kilowatt-hours | +8.5% |
| 2002 | 1,285 kilowatt-hours | +11.0% |
| 2003 | 1,476 kilowatt-hours | +14.8% |
| 2004 | 1,692 kilowatt-hours | +14.7% |
| 2005 | 1,909 kilowatt-hours | +12.8% |
| 2006 | 2,174 kilowatt-hours | +13.9% |
| 2007 | 2,475 kilowatt-hours | +13.8% |
| 2008 | 2,621 kilowatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 2,767 kilowatt-hours | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 3,113 kilowatt-hours | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 3,465 kilowatt-hours | +11.3% |
| 2012 | 3,642 kilowatt-hours | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 3,939 kilowatt-hours | +8.2% |
| 2014 | 4,175 kilowatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 2015 | 4,165 kilowatt-hours | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 4,368 kilowatt-hours | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 4,676 kilowatt-hours | +7.1% |
| 2018 | 5,050 kilowatt-hours | +8.0% |
| 2019 | 5,271 kilowatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 2020 | 5,455 kilowatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 5,983 kilowatt-hours | +9.7% |
| 2022 | 6,209 kilowatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 6,647 kilowatt-hours | +7.1% |
| 2024 | 7,107 kilowatt-hours | +6.9% |
| 2025 | 7,474 kilowatt-hours | +5.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 7,474 kilowatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,628 kilowatt-hours, 2.8× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 7,474 kilowatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2,692 kilowatt-hours, 2.8× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 452.6 kilowatt-hours | 387.51 kilowatt-hours | 515.71 kilowatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 773.4 kilowatt-hours | 538.5 kilowatt-hours | 983.43 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,862 kilowatt-hours | 1,068 kilowatt-hours | 2,767 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,186 kilowatt-hours | 3,113 kilowatt-hours | 5,271 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,479 kilowatt-hours | 5,455 kilowatt-hours | 7,474 kilowatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 31 New Zealand 8,252 kilowatt-hours compare
- 32 Austria 8,034 kilowatt-hours compare
- 33 United States Virgin Islands 7,934 kilowatt-hours compare
- 35 Netherlands 7,356 kilowatt-hours compare
- 36 Switzerland 7,251 kilowatt-hours compare
- 37 Czechia 7,116 kilowatt-hours compare
More energy & mining data for China
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 2.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 20.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation per person in China?
- Electricity generation per person in China was 7,474 kilowatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation per person recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 7,474 kilowatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation per person recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 387.51 kilowatt-hours in 1985.
- How does China rank for electricity generation per person?
- China ranks 34th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation per person rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.