Share of electricity generation from coal in United States
United States: Share of electricity generation from coal was 16.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of electricity generation from coal in United States, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United States recorded 16.3% for share of electricity generation from coal in 2025.
That represents a change of up 9.8% on the previous year and down 50.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from coal in United States peaked at 56.8% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 14.9%, in 2024.
That places United States 43rd out of 210 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 56.1% | 54.2% | 56.8% | 5 |
| 1990s | 53.0% | 51.8% | 53.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.5% | 44.6% | 51.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.6% | 23.2% | 44.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 14.9% | 21.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
More energy & mining data for United States
- Fuel imports 7.5% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 2.1% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 2.9% (2024)
- Gas production 10,737 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 30,919 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 10,737 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 30,919 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 18.3% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 5.3% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 45.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of electricity generation from coal in United States?
- Share of electricity generation from coal in United States was 16.3% 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 56.8% in 1988.
- What is the lowest share of electricity generation from coal recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.9% in 2024.
- How does United States rank for share of electricity generation from coal?
- United States ranks 43rd out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of electricity generation from coal rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.