Share of electricity generation from coal in Australia
Australia: Share of electricity generation from coal was 42.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of electricity generation from coal in Australia, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of electricity generation from coal in Australia is 42.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.5% on the previous year and down 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from coal in Australia peaked at 83.3% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 42.7%, in 2025.
Australia ranks 17th of 210 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 73.3% | 71.5% | 75.0% | 5 |
| 1990s | 81.4% | 79.3% | 83.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.7% | 72.8% | 83.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.2% | 56.4% | 70.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.8% | 42.7% | 53.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More energy & mining data for Australia
- Fuel imports 11.7% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 1.9% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 34.6% (2025)
- Gas production 1,486 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 55,080 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 1,486 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 55,080 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 26.9% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 4.7% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 45.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of electricity generation from coal in Australia?
- Share of electricity generation from coal in Australia was 42.7% in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of electricity generation from coal recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 83.3% in 1997.
- What is the lowest share of electricity generation from coal recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.7% in 2025.
- How does Australia rank for share of electricity generation from coal?
- Australia ranks 17th out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of electricity generation from coal rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of electricity generation from coal. 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 as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region.