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Coal consumption by country since 1965

From the US and USSR to China and India: the world's biggest coal users since 1965.

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What the data shows

  • In 2024, China ranks #1 with 25,599 TWh, ahead of India (6,380 TWh) and United States (2,196 TWh).
  • Back in 1965, United States was #1 with 3,224 TWh.
  • The top spot changed hands once: China in 1986.
  • Biggest climber: Indonesia, from #11 in 1965 to #4 in 2024.

About this chart

In 1965 the United States and the Soviet Union burned the most coal. China passed both in the 1980s and its consumption soared after 2000; today it uses more coal than the rest of the world combined.

Values are primary energy from coal in terawatt-hours, from the Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data.

The data

Source: Ember and Energy Institute via Our World in Data (owid/energy-data), primary energy from coal, terawatt-hours. Retrieved November 3, 2026.

Coal consumption by country, Primary energy from coal, TWh, 1965–2024
Date🇨🇳 China🇮🇳 India🇺🇸 United States🇮🇩 Indonesia🇯🇵 Japan🇷🇺 Russia🇿🇦 South Africa🇰🇷 South Korea🇻🇳 Vietnam🇹🇷 Turkey🇩🇪 Germany🇵🇱 Poland
19651,331 TWh413 TWh3,224 TWh2 TWh567 TWh287 TWh58 TWh10 TWh43 TWh1,869 TWh692 TWh
19661,424 TWh412 TWh3,381 TWh2 TWh604 TWh283 TWh65 TWh11 TWh47 TWh1,745 TWh701 TWh
19671,265 TWh419 TWh3,317 TWh1 TWh663 TWh291 TWh62 TWh12 TWh42 TWh1,681 TWh714 TWh
19681,256 TWh434 TWh3,433 TWh1 TWh682 TWh305 TWh59 TWh13 TWh46 TWh1,705 TWh748 TWh
19691,517 TWh461 TWh3,447 TWh1 TWh729 TWh308 TWh61 TWh14 TWh49 TWh1,756 TWh786 TWh
19701,930 TWh437 TWh3,415 TWh1 TWh702 TWh318 TWh65 TWh15 TWh54 TWh1,734 TWh816 TWh
19712,225 TWh443 TWh3,229 TWh1 TWh638 TWh340 TWh66 TWh17 TWh55 TWh1,659 TWh835 TWh
19722,353 TWh468 TWh3,362 TWh1 TWh623 TWh343 TWh68 TWh13 TWh59 TWh1,620 TWh874 TWh
19732,384 TWh461 TWh3,611 TWh1 TWh659 TWh365 TWh86 TWh18 TWh61 TWh1,625 TWh878 TWh
19742,359 TWh521 TWh3,526 TWh1 TWh698 TWh382 TWh88 TWh22 TWh66 TWh1,632 TWh902 TWh
19752,658 TWh560 TWh3,526 TWh1 TWh653 TWh408 TWh93 TWh30 TWh69 TWh1,479 TWh973 TWh
19762,723 TWh583 TWh3,782 TWh1 TWh639 TWh428 TWh104 TWh28 TWh72 TWh1,561 TWh1,018 TWh
19772,996 TWh610 TWh3,876 TWh1 TWh603 TWh444 TWh114 TWh31 TWh74 TWh1,499 TWh1,054 TWh
19783,289 TWh591 TWh3,833 TWh2 TWh546 TWh431 TWh115 TWh30 TWh75 TWh1,518 TWh1,103 TWh
19793,403 TWh627 TWh4,187 TWh2 TWh583 TWh460 TWh138 TWh31 TWh77 TWh1,607 TWh1,116 TWh
19803,539 TWh660 TWh4,294 TWh3 TWh677 TWh497 TWh154 TWh26 TWh82 TWh1,644 TWh1,182 TWh
19813,520 TWh742 TWh4,429 TWh3 TWh759 TWh589 TWh177 TWh29 TWh84 TWh1,671 TWh1,054 TWh
19823,725 TWh734 TWh4,266 TWh3 TWh724 TWh646 TWh180 TWh33 TWh94 TWh1,631 TWh1,091 TWh
19833,989 TWh779 TWh4,425 TWh3 TWh714 TWh656 TWh192 TWh33 TWh103 TWh1,691 TWh1,088 TWh
19844,338 TWh818 TWh4,753 TWh3 TWh798 TWh707 TWh231 TWh33 TWh116 TWh1,745 TWh1,135 TWh
19854,736 TWh857 TWh4,866 TWh10 TWh833 TWh2,304 TWh726 TWh256 TWh33 TWh139 TWh1,736 TWh1,161 TWh
19864,951 TWh921 TWh4,806 TWh17 TWh793 TWh2,366 TWh736 TWh271 TWh36 TWh153 TWh1,640 TWh1,191 TWh
19875,372 TWh1,012 TWh5,014 TWh26 TWh809 TWh2,403 TWh749 TWh275 TWh40 TWh161 TWh1,634 TWh1,234 TWh
19885,771 TWh1,086 TWh5,247 TWh28 TWh875 TWh2,367 TWh810 TWh293 TWh38 TWh156 TWh1,614 TWh1,200 TWh
19896,047 TWh1,180 TWh5,309 TWh41 TWh876 TWh2,289 TWh756 TWh285 TWh30 TWh176 TWh1,640 TWh1,147 TWh
19906,135 TWh1,276 TWh5,338 TWh40 TWh908 TWh2,120 TWh783 TWh293 TWh26 TWh187 TWh1,530 TWh912 TWh
19916,433 TWh1,358 TWh5,288 TWh40 TWh900 TWh1,943 TWh769 TWh301 TWh25 TWh199 TWh1,344 TWh904 TWh
19926,731 TWh1,438 TWh5,324 TWh49 TWh885 TWh1,826 TWh772 TWh291 TWh25 TWh199 TWh1,214 TWh874 TWh
19937,170 TWh1,490 TWh5,522 TWh57 TWh903 TWh1,648 TWh775 TWh319 TWh24 TWh184 TWh1,146 TWh863 TWh
19947,642 TWh1,537 TWh5,543 TWh57 TWh945 TWh1,441 TWh800 TWh332 TWh27 TWh184 TWh1,111 TWh804 TWh
19957,737 TWh1,632 TWh5,593 TWh63 TWh980 TWh1,388 TWh830 TWh343 TWh36 TWh192 TWh1,054 TWh818 TWh
19968,095 TWh1,678 TWh5,847 TWh75 TWh1,006 TWh1,363 TWh843 TWh398 TWh40 TWh216 TWh1,049 TWh837 TWh
19977,932 TWh1,755 TWh5,971 TWh93 TWh1,033 TWh1,256 TWh861 TWh422 TWh52 TWh242 TWh1,017 TWh817 TWh
19987,872 TWh1,814 TWh6,029 TWh100 TWh985 TWh1,176 TWh835 TWh435 TWh55 TWh251 TWh993 TWh736 TWh
19998,099 TWh1,797 TWh6,020 TWh137 TWh1,036 TWh1,186 TWh873 TWh460 TWh41 TWh233 TWh956 TWh706 TWh
20008,211 TWh1,911 TWh6,287 TWh153 TWh1,111 TWh1,230 TWh868 TWh514 TWh55 TWh261 TWh992 TWh654 TWh
20018,636 TWh1,927 TWh6,101 TWh194 TWh1,137 TWh1,200 TWh871 TWh547 TWh60 TWh215 TWh995 TWh646 TWh
20029,467 TWh2,013 TWh6,098 TWh200 TWh1,208 TWh1,205 TWh829 TWh586 TWh68 TWh224 TWh997 TWh634 TWh
200311,283 TWh2,108 TWh6,215 TWh269 TWh1,241 TWh1,212 TWh921 TWh609 TWh79 TWh242 TWh1,014 TWh653 TWh
200413,155 TWh2,244 TWh6,255 TWh247 TWh1,274 TWh1,162 TWh1,009 TWh642 TWh104 TWh257 TWh988 TWh634 TWh
200515,405 TWh2,456 TWh6,347 TWh284 TWh1,335 TWh1,100 TWh930 TWh653 TWh109 TWh258 TWh945 TWh641 TWh
200616,918 TWh2,550 TWh6,250 TWh331 TWh1,312 TWh1,128 TWh948 TWh674 TWh67 TWh304 TWh983 TWh668 TWh
200718,424 TWh2,790 TWh6,334 TWh417 TWh1,377 TWh1,092 TWh973 TWh709 TWh73 TWh343 TWh1,008 TWh651 TWh
200818,716 TWh3,021 TWh6,233 TWh366 TWh1,415 TWh1,171 TWh1,086 TWh789 TWh138 TWh344 TWh932 TWh642 TWh
200919,605 TWh3,268 TWh5,482 TWh378 TWh1,187 TWh1,072 TWh1,091 TWh819 TWh130 TWh359 TWh834 TWh603 TWh
201020,341 TWh3,349 TWh5,801 TWh430 TWh1,353 TWh1,053 TWh1,080 TWh916 TWh169 TWh366 TWh896 TWh641 TWh
201122,144 TWh3,479 TWh5,473 TWh496 TWh1,283 TWh1,093 TWh1,053 TWh1,003 TWh202 TWh394 TWh911 TWh639 TWh
201222,422 TWh3,788 TWh4,838 TWh506 TWh1,354 TWh1,145 TWh1,027 TWh962 TWh187 TWh424 TWh936 TWh596 TWh
201322,902 TWh4,010 TWh5,022 TWh441 TWh1,409 TWh1,053 TWh1,028 TWh961 TWh200 TWh367 TWh963 TWh621 TWh
201422,805 TWh4,401 TWh5,011 TWh469 TWh1,386 TWh1,018 TWh1,041 TWh990 TWh242 TWh420 TWh926 TWh575 TWh
201522,329 TWh4,490 TWh4,329 TWh532 TWh1,398 TWh1,071 TWh976 TWh995 TWh305 TWh404 TWh915 TWh566 TWh
201621,676 TWh4,588 TWh3,961 TWh544 TWh1,395 TWh1,038 TWh1,050 TWh968 TWh330 TWh447 TWh890 TWh576 TWh
201721,915 TWh4,737 TWh3,853 TWh566 TWh1,416 TWh976 TWh1,033 TWh1,027 TWh330 TWh459 TWh836 TWh579 TWh
201822,352 TWh4,982 TWh3,689 TWh656 TWh1,387 TWh1,008 TWh980 TWh1,058 TWh440 TWh475 TWh807 TWh579 TWh
201922,922 TWh4,989 TWh3,150 TWh801 TWh1,363 TWh991 TWh1,045 TWh997 TWh581 TWh488 TWh624 TWh516 TWh
202023,403 TWh4,715 TWh2,556 TWh765 TWh1,271 TWh911 TWh1,023 TWh883 TWh610 TWh472 TWh515 TWh478 TWh
202124,315 TWh5,353 TWh2,937 TWh763 TWh1,369 TWh948 TWh996 TWh909 TWh579 TWh482 TWh622 TWh529 TWh
202224,398 TWh5,561 TWh2,753 TWh1,217 TWh1,366 TWh1,062 TWh939 TWh874 TWh536 TWh489 TWh642 TWh496 TWh
202325,181 TWh6,137 TWh2,275 TWh1,200 TWh1,260 TWh1,060 TWh956 TWh845 TWh633 TWh465 TWh487 TWh411 TWh
202425,599 TWh6,380 TWh2,196 TWh1,311 TWh1,259 TWh1,041 TWh976 TWh792 TWh693 TWh500 TWh438 TWh369 TWh

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Frequently asked questions

Which country uses the most coal?

In 2024, China ranks #1 with 25,599 TWh, followed by India (6,380 TWh) and United States (2,196 TWh). Source: Ember and Energy Institute via Our World in Data (owid/energy-data), primary energy from coal, terawatt-hours.

Where does this data come from?

Ember and Energy Institute via Our World in Data (owid/energy-data), primary energy from coal, terawatt-hours. Retrieved November 3, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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