China is the largest consumer of primary energy in the world, having used some 176.35 exajoules in 2024. This is a lot more than what the United States consumed, which comes in second place. The majority of primary energy fuels worldwide are still derived from fossil fuels, such as oil and coal. China's energy mix China’s primary energy mix has shifted from a dominant use of coal to an increase in natural gas and renewable sources. Since 2013, the renewables share in total energy consumption has grown by around eight percentage points. Overall, global primary energy consumption has increased over the last decade, and it is expected to experience the largest growth in emerging economies like the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India, and China. What is primary energy? Primary energy is the energy inherent in natural resources such as crude oil, coal, and wind before further transformation. For example, crude oil can be refined into secondary fuels, such as gasoline or diesel, while wind is harnessed for electricity - itself a secondary energy source. A country’s total primary energy supply is a measure of the country’s primary energy sources. Meanwhile, end-use energy is the energy directly consumed by the user and includes primary fuels such as natural gas, as well as secondary sources, like electricity and gasoline.

Qatar has the highest per capita energy consumption worldwide. In 2024, residents in Qatar used an average of *** megawatt-hours worth of energy - all of which was derived from fossil fuels. Sources of primary energy In 2024, oil and coal were the main fuels used for primary energy worldwide. Except for the Nordic countries and Canada, all other countries listed among the leading 10 consumers sourced energy almost exclusively from fossil fuels. Many of them are also responsible for large oil production shares or the refining thereof. Differences in energy consumption There is a notable disparity between the highest and lowest energy users. Resource-rich countries outside the temperate climate zone tend to use more energy to heat or cool homes and are also more likely to use greater amounts of energy as costs are much lower. For example, electricity prices in oil and gas-producing countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia are only a fraction of those of resource-poor countries in Europe. Furthermore, energy consumption disparity is a strong indicator of the different income levels around the world and largely tied to economic prosperity.

The average for 2022 based on 190 countries was 139.5 billion kilowatthours. The highest value was in China: 8349.31 billion kilowatthours and the lowest value was in Montserrat: 0.02 billion kilowatthours. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2022 based on 146 countries was 2347.08 kilograms of oil equivalent. The highest value was in Qatar: 16683.66 kilograms of oil equivalent and the lowest value was in Yemen: 68.95 kilograms of oil equivalent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, China consumed *****percent of global primary energy, positioning itself as the largest primary energy consumer across the world. The United States followed, with more than ****** the consumption share of India and Russia, the third and fourth-largest consumers worldwide. China’s use of energy Most of the primary energy consumed in China comes from coal, while crude oil is the country’s second most-consumed resource. Primary energy consumption in China has increased ****-fold since 2000 and continues to rise each year. Rapid energy plants construction is a major reason for China's rising energy consumption. Sources of primary energy Primary energy comes directly from natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, and has not yet been subject to transformation through human processes. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and gas are the most common types of primary energy sources worldwide. Consumption of renewables such as solar and wind currently remains at a much lower level than that of fossil fuels. For instance, the use of coal alone is ***** times greater than that of renewable sources. However, global renewable energy consumption has been growing steadily over the past decades.

Iceland is by far the largest per capita consumer of electricity worldwide, averaging 51.9 megawatt-hours per person in 2024. This results from a combination of factors, such as low-cost electricity production, increased heating demand, and the presence of energy-intensive industries in the country. Norway, Qatar, and Canada were also some of the world's largest electricity consumers per capita that year. China is the leading overall power consumer Power-intensive industries, the purchasing power of the average citizen, household size, and general power efficiency standards all contribute to the amount of electricity that is consumed per person every year. However, in terms of total electricity consumption, a country's size and population can also play an important role. In 2024, the three most populous countries in the world, namely China, the United States, and India, were also the three largest electricity consumers. Global electricity consumption on the rise In 2023, net electricity consumption worldwide amounted to over 27,000 terawatt-hours, an increase of 30 percent in comparison to a decade earlier. When compared to 1980, global electricity consumption more than tripled. On the generation side, the world is still strongly dependent on fossil fuels. Despite the world's renewable energy capacity quintupling in the last decade, coal and gas combined still accounted for almost 60 percent of global electricity generation in 2023.

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This horizontal bar chart displays renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) by countries using the aggregation average. The data is about countries.

India Primary Energy Consumption per Capita data was reported at 7,129.110 kWh/Person in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 6,809.693 kWh/Person for 2021. India Primary Energy Consumption per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 2,870.515 kWh/Person from Dec 1965 (Median) to 2022, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,129.110 kWh/Person in 2022 and a record low of 1,238.620 kWh/Person in 1965. India Primary Energy Consumption per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Our World in Data. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.OWID.ESG: Environmental: CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Annual.

The average for 2022 based on 141 countries was 93.02 kilograms of oil equivalent. The highest value was in Trinidad and Tobago: 358.47 kilograms of oil equivalent and the lowest value was in Ireland: 20.87 kilograms of oil equivalent. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This bar chart displays renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) by countries using the aggregation average in Europe. The data is about countries.

Per capita energy consumption averaged ****** kilowatt-hours worldwide in 2024. This was up from a pandemic-induced slump in 2020. Qatar has the highest per capita energy consumption of any country worldwide.

CN: Electricity Consumption: per Capita: Residential: Average data was reported at 987.000 kWh in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 869.000 kWh for 2021. CN: Electricity Consumption: per Capita: Residential: Average data is updated yearly, averaging 126.527 kWh from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2022, with 43 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 987.000 kWh in 2022 and a record low of 10.721 kWh in 1980. CN: Electricity Consumption: per Capita: Residential: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Energy Sector – Table CN.RBB: Electricity Consumption per Capita.

There are four countries in the world with a fossil fuel consumption share of over 99 percent of the total primary energy consumption. In Turkmenistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Kuwait, and Algeria, fossil fuels account for nearly all primary energy consumed. By comparison, Sweden has among the lowest consumption shares at some 27.79 percent.

Indonesia Energy: Consumption: Energy Sector: Electricity data was reported at 50,643.000 TJ in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 49,098.000 TJ for 2016. Indonesia Energy: Consumption: Energy Sector: Electricity data is updated yearly, averaging 22,552.500 TJ from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2017, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50,643.000 TJ in 2017 and a record low of 13,860.000 TJ in 2006. Indonesia Energy: Consumption: Energy Sector: Electricity data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Indonesia Premium Database’s Energy Sector – Table ID.RBA004: Energy Statistics: Consumption.

This dataset is about countries per year in San Marino. It has 64 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and renewable energy consumption.

Electricity Consumption: Total data was reported at 21,974.854 kWh mn in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 19,891.292 kWh mn for Feb 2025. Electricity Consumption: Total data is updated monthly, averaging 16,478.750 kWh mn from Jan 1982 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 519 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26,711.093 kWh mn in Aug 2024 and a record low of 2,820.343 kWh mn in Feb 1982. Electricity Consumption: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.RB: Energy Consumption: Electricity. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

This dataset is about countries per year in Turkey. It has 64 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and renewable energy consumption.

United States Electricity Consumption data was reported at 10.243 kWh/Day bn in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.765 kWh/Day bn for Feb 2025. United States Electricity Consumption data is updated monthly, averaging 9.940 kWh/Day bn from Jan 1991 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 411 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.179 kWh/Day bn in Jul 2024 and a record low of 7.190 kWh/Day bn in Apr 1991. United States Electricity Consumption data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Energy Information Administration. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.RB004: Electricity Supply and Consumption. [COVID-19-IMPACT]