Over the past half a century, the world's electricity consumption has continuously grown, reaching approximately 27,000 terawatt-hours by 2023. Between 1980 and 2023, electricity consumption more than tripled, while the global population reached eight billion people. Growth in industrialization and electricity access across the globe have further boosted electricity demand. China's economic rise and growth in global power use Since 2000, China's GDP has recorded an astonishing 15-fold increase, turning it into the second-largest global economy, behind only the United States. To fuel the development of its billion-strong population and various manufacturing industries, China requires more energy than any other country. As a result, it has become the largest electricity consumer in the world. Electricity consumption per capita In terms of per capita electricity consumption, China and other BRIC countries are still vastly outpaced by developed economies with smaller population sizes. Iceland, with a population of less than half a million inhabitants, consumes by far the most electricity per person in the world. Norway, Qatar, Canada, and the United States also have among the highest consumption rates. Multiple contributing factors such as the existence of power-intensive industries, household sizes, living situations, appliance and efficiency standards, and access to alternative heating fuels determine the amount of electricity the average person requires in each country.

Electricity consumption in the United States totaled ***** terawatt-hours in 2023, one of the highest values in the period under consideration. Figures represent energy end use, which is the sum of retail sales and direct use of electricity by the producing entity. Electricity consumption in the U.S. is expected to continue increasing in the next decades. Which sectors consume the most electricity in the U.S.? Consumption has often been associated with economic growth. Nevertheless, technological improvements in efficiency and new appliance standards have led to a stabilizing of electricity consumption, despite the increased ubiquity of chargeable consumer electronics. Electricity consumption is highest in the residential sector, followed by the commercial sector. Equipment used for space heating and cooling account for some of the largest shares of residential electricity end use. Leading states in electricity use Industrial hub Texas is the leading electricity-consuming U.S. state. In 2022, the Southwestern state, which houses major refinery complexes and is also home to nearly ** million people, consumed over *** terawatt-hours. California and Florida trailed in second and third, each with an annual consumption of approximately *** terawatt-hours.