Coal Consumption: China vs World 2025 (Latest Data & Historical Trends)
Coal consumption comparison between China and the rest of the world (1990-2025). China consumes 50%+ of global coal, making it the world's largest coal consumer.
Quick Answer
China consumed 2,300 Mtoe of coal in 2025, 54.5% of global consumption. From 23.7% in 1990, China's coal share peaked at 54.6% in 2023. China remains the world's largest coal consumer. Data from BP Statistical Review covers 1990-2025.
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Data Table
36 data points| Year | China | World total | World minus china | China share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 530 | 2232 | 1702 | 23.7 |
| 1991 | 555 | 2225 | 1670 | 25.0 |
| 1992 | 591 | 2223 | 1632 | 26.6 |
| 1993 | 634 | 2226 | 1592 | 28.5 |
| 1994 | 679 | 2232 | 1553 | 30.4 |
| 1995 | 735 | 2304 | 1569 | 31.9 |
| 1996 | 775 | 2377 | 1602 | 32.6 |
| 1997 | 790 | 2394 | 1604 | 33.0 |
| 1998 | 767 | 2339 | 1572 | 32.8 |
| 1999 | 745 | 2328 | 1583 | 32.0 |
| 2000 | 762 | 2411 | 1649 | 31.6 |
| 2001 | 799 | 2455 | 1656 | 32.5 |
| 2002 | 865 | 2535 | 1670 | 34.1 |
| 2003 | 1005 | 2721 | 1716 | 36.9 |
| 2004 | 1151 | 2942 | 1791 | 39.1 |
| 2005 | 1290 | 3129 | 1839 | 41.2 |
| 2006 | 1439 | 3319 | 1880 | 43.4 |
| 2007 | 1576 | 3503 | 1927 | 45.0 |
| 2008 | 1625 | 3529 | 1904 | 46.0 |
| 2009 | 1762 | 3585 | 1823 | 49.1 |
| 2010 | 1867 | 3730 | 1863 | 50.1 |
| 2011 | 2001 | 3933 | 1932 | 50.9 |
| 2012 | 2063 | 4008 | 1945 | 51.5 |
| 2013 | 2123 | 4055 | 1932 | 52.4 |
| 2014 | 2113 | 4019 | 1906 | 52.6 |
| 2015 | 2047 | 3917 | 1870 | 52.3 |
| 2016 | 2028 | 3859 | 1831 | 52.5 |
| 2017 | 2037 | 3868 | 1831 | 52.7 |
| 2018 | 2071 | 3916 | 1845 | 52.9 |
| 2019 | 2080 | 3898 | 1818 | 53.4 |
| 2020 | 2112 | 3877 | 1765 | 54.5 |
| 2021 | 2179 | 4007 | 1828 | 54.4 |
| 2022 | 2215 | 4065 | 1850 | 54.5 |
| 2023 | 2248 | 4120 | 1872 | 54.6 |
| 2024 | 2280 | 4180 | 1900 | 54.5 |
| 2025 | 2300 | 4220 | 1920 | 54.5 |
About This Dataset
Coal consumption comparison between China and the rest of the world (1990-2025). China consumes 50%+ of global coal, making it the world's largest coal consumer.
The latest row (2025) reports China: 2,300 Mtoe and world total: 4,220 Mtoe. The dataset spans 36 data points from 1990 to 2025, updated yearly.
API
curl https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/coal-consumption-china-vs-world 📚 How to Cite This Data
Citation Format:
China Data Portal (2026). Coal Consumption: China vs World. Retrieved from https://chinadata.live/data/coal-consumption-china-vs-world/
Primary Source:
BP Statistical Review, IEA
Last Updated:
2026-07-13T06:52:09.779Z
API Access:
GET https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/coal-consumption-china-vs-world Frequently Asked Questions
How much coal does China consume per year?
China consumes approximately 4,500–4,800 Mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent) of coal annually, representing over 50% of global coal consumption. In physical terms, this is roughly 4.5 billion tonnes of coal per year, sourced from domestic mines and imports from Australia, Indonesia, Russia, and Mongolia.
What percentage of world coal does China consume?
China consumes more than 50% of all coal burned globally, according to BP Statistical Review and IEA data. Despite being home to 18% of the world's population, China's coal consumption exceeds that of all other countries combined. The US, the next largest consumer, uses roughly 7% of world coal.
Is China reducing its coal consumption?
China has pledged to peak coal consumption before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In recent years, coal consumption growth has slowed, and China leads the world in solar and wind capacity additions. However, absolute coal use has continued to rise as economic growth demands more power. The transition is gradual, with coal still generating ~60% of China's electricity.
Why does China consume so much coal?
Coal became China's dominant energy source during rapid industrialization because it is abundant domestically (China has the world's 3rd-largest coal reserves), cheap, and reliable. Coal powers steel mills, cement plants, and electricity generation that supported China's manufacturing boom. Transitioning away from coal requires building out alternative energy infrastructure at massive scale.
How does China's coal consumption compare to India and the USA?
China consumes roughly 5x more coal than India and 10x more than the USA. India is the world's second-largest coal consumer (approximately 10–12% of global total) and is still growing its coal use. The USA has been reducing coal consumption since 2005 due to cheap natural gas and renewable energy growth.