Share of primary energy use by source in China
China: Share of primary energy use by source was 9.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
9.8%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
68th
of 77 countries
All-time high
9.8%
in 2024
All-time low
0.7%
in 1965
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Share of primary energy use by source in China, 1965–2025
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 %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of primary energy use by source in China stood at 9.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 65.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of primary energy use by source in China peaked at 9.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1965.
That places China 68th out of 77 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.
Share of primary energy use by source in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.7% | — |
| 1966 | 0.8% | +11.9% |
| 1967 | 1.0% | +21.0% |
| 1968 | 1.0% | -4.7% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | +14.5% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | +13.8% |
| 1971 | 1.4% | +10.0% |
| 1972 | 1.7% | +20.2% |
| 1973 | 1.9% | +17.2% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | +22.4% |
| 1975 | 2.5% | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 2.7% | +8.3% |
| 1977 | 3.0% | +9.9% |
| 1978 | 3.0% | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 3.1% | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 3.1% | -2.4% |
| 1981 | 2.8% | -9.2% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | -10.1% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | -3.6% |
| 1984 | 2.3% | -5.3% |
| 1985 | 2.2% | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | -6.5% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | -4.4% |
| 1989 | 2.0% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 1.9% | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 1.8% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 1.8% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 1.8% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +5.1% |
| 1998 | 1.9% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 2.0% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 2.2% | +10.4% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 2.3% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +12.2% |
| 2007 | 2.9% | +13.2% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | +12.1% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | +13.4% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | +14.7% |
| 2012 | 4.9% | +8.2% |
| 2013 | 5.4% | +10.0% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 5.9% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 6.4% | +7.6% |
| 2017 | 7.1% | +11.2% |
| 2018 | 8.0% | +12.6% |
| 2019 | 8.4% | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 8.9% | +6.4% |
| 2021 | 9.6% | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 9.4% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 9.4% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 9.8% | +4.1% |
| 2025 | 9.8% | -0.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 9.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 27.8%, 35% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- China's 9.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.3%, 60% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.3% | 1.2% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 3.9% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.5% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 65 Brazil 10.7% compare
- 66 New Zealand 10.5% compare
- 67 North Macedonia 10.5% compare
- 69 Estonia 6.2% compare
- 70 India 6.1% compare
- 71 Philippines 5.6% 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 share of primary energy use by source in China?
- Share of primary energy use by source in China was 9.8% in 2025, 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 share of primary energy use by source recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 9.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of primary energy use by source recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1965.
- How does China rank for share of primary energy use by source?
- China ranks 68th out of 77 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of primary energy use by source rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.7%. 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); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of primary energy use by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.