Share of electricity generation from oil in China

China: Share of electricity generation from oil was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.8%
Change on year
down 4.0%
World rank
158th
of 208 countries
All-time high
13.8%
in 1985
All-time low
0.3%
in 2009
Years of data
41
1985–2025

Share of electricity generation from oil in China, 1985–2025

0510151985200520251985: 13.8 %1986: 11.9 %1987: 11 %1988: 11.1 %1989: 9.9 %1990: 8.1 %1991: 7.7 %1992: 7.1 %1993: 8.1 %1994: 5.2 %1995: 5.5 %1996: 4.7 %1997: 4.1 %1998: 4.6 %1999: 4.1 %2000: 3.5 %2001: 3.3 %2002: 3.1 %2003: 2.9 %2004: 3 %2005: 2 %2006: 1.3 %2007: 0.856 %2008: 0.538 %2009: 0.326 %2010: 0.825 %2011: 0.717 %2012: 0.626 %2013: 0.608 %2014: 0.615 %2015: 0.627 %2016: 0.857 %2017: 0.849 %2018: 0.787 %2019: 0.699 %2020: 0.687 %2021: 0.669 %2022: 0.79 %2023: 0.814 %2024: 0.881 %2025: 0.846 %

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 oil in China is 0.8%, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 4.0% on the previous year and up 34.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from oil in China peaked at 13.8% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2009.

That places China 158th out of 208 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 11.5% 9.9% 13.8% 5
1990s 5.9% 4.1% 8.1% 10
2000s 2.1% 0.3% 3.5% 10
2010s 0.7% 0.6% 0.9% 10
2020s 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 155 South Korea 1.0% compare
  2. 156 Kyrgyzstan 1.0% compare
  3. 157 Brunei 0.9% compare
  4. 159 South Africa 0.8% compare
  5. 160 Latvia 0.8% compare
  6. 161 Philippines 0.8% compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More energy & mining data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of electricity generation from oil in China?
Share of electricity generation from oil in China was 0.8% 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 oil recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 13.8% in 1985.
What is the lowest share of electricity generation from oil recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2009.
How does China rank for share of electricity generation from oil?
China ranks 158th out of 208 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of electricity generation from oil rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.9%. 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 Share of electricity generation from oil. 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

Indicator
Share of electricity generation from oil
Unit
%
Source
Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 6,212 data points, 1920–2025
Last refreshed

Measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region.