Primary energy use per person in China
China: Primary energy use per person was 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
31,815 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
59th
of 218 countries
All-time high
31,815 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
All-time low
1,885 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1968
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Primary energy use per person in China, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary energy use per person in China is 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 35.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use per person in China peaked at 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,885 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1968.
China ranks 59th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary energy use per person in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 2,064 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1966 | 2,189 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.1% |
| 1967 | 1,923 kilowatt-hours per person | -12.2% |
| 1968 | 1,885 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.0% |
| 1969 | 2,244 kilowatt-hours per person | +19.0% |
| 1970 | 2,811 kilowatt-hours per person | +25.3% |
| 1971 | 3,250 kilowatt-hours per person | +15.6% |
| 1972 | 3,421 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 3,529 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 3,560 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 3,924 kilowatt-hours per person | +10.2% |
| 1976 | 4,072 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 4,382 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.6% |
| 1978 | 4,756 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.5% |
| 1979 | 4,825 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 4,794 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 4,646 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 4,766 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 4,984 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 5,284 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 5,633 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.6% |
| 1986 | 5,810 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 6,162 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 6,504 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 6,706 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 6,667 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 6,913 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 7,191 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 7,651 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.4% |
| 1994 | 8,043 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 8,180 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 8,565 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 8,541 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 8,485 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 8,732 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 8,954 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 9,334 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 10,127 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 11,810 kilowatt-hours per person | +16.6% |
| 2004 | 13,713 kilowatt-hours per person | +16.1% |
| 2005 | 15,495 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.0% |
| 2006 | 16,884 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.0% |
| 2007 | 18,231 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.0% |
| 2008 | 18,642 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 19,387 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 20,500 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.7% |
| 2011 | 22,054 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.6% |
| 2012 | 22,599 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 23,236 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 23,499 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 23,559 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 23,412 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 24,109 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 25,080 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 25,765 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 26,383 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 27,800 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.4% |
| 2022 | 28,280 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 30,087 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.4% |
| 2024 | 31,076 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.3% |
| 2025 | 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14,608 kilowatt-hours per person, 2.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12,847 kilowatt-hours per person, 2.5× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary energy use per person in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +25.3% | 2,244 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,811 kilowatt-hours per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,061 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,885 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,244 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 3,853 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,811 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,825 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 5,529 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,646 kilowatt-hours per person | 6,706 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 7,897 kilowatt-hours per person | 6,667 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,732 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,258 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,954 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,387 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 23,381 kilowatt-hours per person | 20,500 kilowatt-hours per person | 25,765 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 29,240 kilowatt-hours per person | 26,383 kilowatt-hours per person | 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 56 Slovakia 32,860 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 57 Slovenia 32,538 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 58 Nauru 32,035 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 60 Seychelles 31,605 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 61 Spain 30,144 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 62 Israel 30,135 kilowatt-hours per person 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 primary energy use per person in China?
- Primary energy use per person in China was 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use per person recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest primary energy use per person recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,885 kilowatt-hours per person in 1968.
- How does China rank for primary energy use per person?
- China ranks 59th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy use per person rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per person.