Primary energy use in USSR
USSR: Primary energy use was 17,692 terawatt-hours in 1991. ▲ Rising
Primary energy use in USSR, 1965–1991
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
USSR recorded 17,692 terawatt-hours for primary energy use in 1991.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use in USSR peaked at 18,203 terawatt-hours in 1988 and was at its lowest, 6,758 terawatt-hours, in 1965.
That places USSR 3rd out of 219 countries with data for 1991, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Primary energy use in USSR, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 6,758 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 7,177 terawatt-hours | +6.2% |
| 1967 | 7,558 terawatt-hours | +5.3% |
| 1968 | 7,817 terawatt-hours | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 8,167 terawatt-hours | +4.5% |
| 1970 | 8,567 terawatt-hours | +4.9% |
| 1971 | 8,997 terawatt-hours | +5.0% |
| 1972 | 9,474 terawatt-hours | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 9,973 terawatt-hours | +5.3% |
| 1974 | 10,520 terawatt-hours | +5.5% |
| 1975 | 11,065 terawatt-hours | +5.2% |
| 1976 | 11,489 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 11,996 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 12,484 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 12,831 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 13,106 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 13,390 terawatt-hours | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 13,758 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 14,046 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 14,551 terawatt-hours | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 16,731 terawatt-hours | +15.0% |
| 1986 | 17,086 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 17,676 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 18,203 terawatt-hours | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 18,182 terawatt-hours | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 17,974 terawatt-hours | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 17,692 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7,495 terawatt-hours | 6,758 terawatt-hours | 8,167 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 10,740 terawatt-hours | 8,567 terawatt-hours | 12,831 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 15,673 terawatt-hours | 13,106 terawatt-hours | 18,203 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 17,833 terawatt-hours | 17,692 terawatt-hours | 17,974 terawatt-hours | 2 |
Countries ranked near USSR
More energy & mining data for USSR
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (1991)
- Gas production 5,564 terawatt-hours (1984)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 20,217 kilowatt-hours per person (1984)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 5,564 terawatt-hours (1984)
- Gas production per person 20,217 kilowatt-hours per person (1984)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (1991)
- Fossil fuel consumption, annual growth rate 2.84 % change on previous year (1984)
- Annual change in primary energy use, annual growth rate -34.91 % change on previous year (1991)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (1991)
- Oil consumption, annual growth rate 0.0144 % change on previous year (1984)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary energy use in USSR?
- Primary energy use in USSR was 17,692 terawatt-hours in 1991, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use recorded in USSR?
- The highest recorded value was 18,203 terawatt-hours in 1988.
- What is the lowest primary energy use recorded in USSR?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,758 terawatt-hours in 1965.
- How does USSR rank for primary energy use?
- USSR ranks 3rd out of 219 countries with data for 1991.
- Is primary energy use rising or falling in USSR?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this USSR data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.