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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Iran IR: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data was reported at 2,985.687 kWh in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,795.957 kWh for 2013. Iran IR: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 1,100.986 kWh from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2014, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,985.687 kWh in 2014 and a record low of 274.134 kWh in 1971. Iran IR: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank: Energy Production and Consumption. Electric power consumption measures the production of power plants and combined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants.; ; IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), subject to https://www.iea.org/t&c/termsandconditions/; Weighted average; Restricted use: Please contact the International Energy Agency for third-party use of these data.

United States Primary Energy Consumption per Capita data was reported at 77,027.836 kWh/Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 78,347.914 kWh/Person for 2022. United States Primary Energy Consumption per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 89,404.797 kWh/Person from Dec 1965 (Median) to 2023, with 59 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98,110.680 kWh/Person in 1973 and a record low of 73,294.336 kWh/Person in 2020. United States 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 United States – Table US.OWID.ESG: Environmental: CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Annual.

Global primary energy consumption has increased dramatically in recent years and is projected to continue to increase until 2045. Only renewable energy consumption is expected to increase between 2045 and 2050 and reach almost 30 percent of the global energy consumption. Energy consumption by country The distribution of energy consumption globally is disproportionately high among some countries. China, the United States, and India were by far the largest consumers of primary energy globally. On a per capita basis, Qatar, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Iceland had the highest per capita energy consumption. Renewable energy consumption Over the last two decades, renewable electricity consumption has increased to reach over 48.8 exajoules in 2024. Among all countries globally, China had the largest installed renewable energy capacity as of that year, followed by the United States.

Data on Energy by Our World in Data

Our complete Energy dataset is a collection of key metrics maintained by Our World in Data. It is updated regularly and includes data on energy consumption (primary energy, per capita, and growth rates), energy mix, electricity mix and other relevant metrics.

The complete Our World in Data Energy dataset

🗂️ Download our complete Energy dataset : CSV | XLSX | JSON

The CSV and XLSX files follow a format of 1 row per location and year. The JSON version is split by country, with an array of yearly records.

The variables represent all of our main data related to energy consumption, energy mix, electricity mix as well as other variables of potential interest.

We will continue to publish updated data on energy as it becomes available. Most metrics are published on an annual basis.

A full codebook is made available, with a description and source for each variable in the dataset.

Our source data and code

The dataset is built upon a number of datasets and processing steps: - Statistical review of world energy (Energy Institute, EI): - Source data - Ingestion code - Basic processing code - Further processing code - International energy data (U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA): - Source data - Ingestion code - Basic processing code - Further processing code - Energy from fossil fuels (The Shift Dataportal): - Source data - Ingestion code - Basic processing code - Further processing code - Yearly Electricity Data (Ember): - Source data - Ingestion code - Basic processing code - Further processing code - European Electricity Review (Ember): - Source data - Ingestion code - Basic processing code - Further processing code - Combined Electricity (Our World in Data based on Ember's Yearly Electricity Data and European Electricity Review): - Processing code - Energy mix (Our World in Data based on EI's Statistical review of world energy): - Processing code - Fossil fuel production (Our World in Data based on EI's Statistical review of world energy & The Shift Dataportal's Energy from fossil fuels): - Processing code - Primary energy consumption (Our World in Data based on EI's Statistical review of world energy &...

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 has 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.

Canada CA: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data was reported at 14,148.321 kWh in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14,591.314 kWh for 2022. Canada CA: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 16,432.576 kWh from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17,849.418 kWh in 2005 and a record low of 14,148.321 kWh in 2023. Canada CA: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Environmental: Energy Production and Consumption. Electric power consumption measures the production of power plants and combined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants.;IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/energy-statistics-data-browser;Weighted average;

Denmark Primary Energy Consumption per Capita data was reported at 33,537.797 kWh/Person in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 32,358.580 kWh/Person for 2021. Denmark Primary Energy Consumption per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 42,529.240 kWh/Person from Dec 1965 (Median) to 2022, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 55,153.883 kWh/Person in 1996 and a record low of 30,294.584 kWh/Person in 2020. Denmark 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 Denmark – Table DK.OWID.ESG: Environmental: CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Annual.

The dataset contains updated record of all countries by per capita energy consumption

Although renewable energy is growing rapidly around the world, fossil fuels still make up a majority of the world’s energy use. Fossil fuel consumption per capita is measured as the average consumption of energy from coal, oil and gas per person.

Indicator Name Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total)

Source: World Bank

Energy Consumption and Mix Dataset by Our World in Data

Dataset Description

This dataset is a comprehensive collection of key metrics related to energy consumption and energy mix, maintained by Our World in Data. It includes global, regional, and country-level data on primary energy consumption, energy mix, electricity mix, fossil fuel production, and related energy metrics.

Key Metrics

The dataset contains several important metrics related to global energy:

• Energy Consumption (primary energy, per capita consumption, growth rates)
• Energy Mix (share of renewables, fossil fuels, etc.)
• Electricity Mix (sources of electricity generation such as coal, hydro, wind, solar)
• Fossil Fuel Production
• Primary Energy Consumption
• Per Capita and Per GDP Energy Indicators
• Yearly data by country and global aggregates

Possible Analyses

The "Energy Consumption and Mix" dataset offers a wide range of opportunities for analysis. Here are some examples of what can be done with this dataset:

1. Global Energy Consumption Trends

• Objective: Examine how global primary energy consumption has evolved over time.
• Approach:
  • Plot global energy consumption year by year, broken down by energy source (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas, renewables).
  • Analyze growth rates in total energy consumption.
  • Investigate how the share of renewables has changed in the global energy mix.
• Potential Insights: This analysis can provide insight into which energy sources are becoming more dominant globally and how the energy landscape has shifted.

2. Energy Mix by Country

• Objective: Compare the energy mix of different countries.
• Approach:
  • For each country, visualize the breakdown of energy sources (e.g., renewables, fossil fuels) over time.
  • Analyze which countries have transitioned towards cleaner energy sources.
  • Compare the energy mix of developed vs. developing countries.
• Potential Insights: This could show which countries are leading in the transition to renewable energy and which are still reliant on fossil fuels.

3. Electricity Generation Sources by Region

• Objective: Explore regional differences in electricity generation.
• Approach:
  • Compare regions based on the percentage of electricity generated from different sources (e.g., coal, hydro, wind, solar).
  • Analyze trends in renewable electricity generation by region.
• Potential Insights: This analysis can identify regions that have made the most progress in transitioning to cleaner electricity sources.

4. Energy Consumption Per Capita

• Objective: Investigate energy consumption on a per capita basis.
• Approach:
  • Calculate the per capita energy consumption for different countries and regions.
  • Compare energy consumption per capita over time.
  • Identify which countries have the highest and lowest per capita energy consumption.
• Potential Insights: This can help uncover disparities in energy access and usage between different countries or regions.

5. Energy Consumption and Economic Growth

• Objective: Analyze the relationship between energy consumption and GDP.
• Approach:
  • Plot energy consumption per capita vs. GDP per capita for different countries and regions.
  • Look for correlations between energy consumption growth and economic growth.
  • Explore how energy consumption patterns differ between high-income and low-income countries.
• Potential Insights: This analysis can highlight the role of energy in driving economic development and the efficiency of energy usage across income levels.

6. Carbon Emissions from Energy Sources

• Objective: Assess the impact of different energy sources on carbon emissions.
• Approach:
  • Calculate emissions based on the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix.
  • Analyze trends in carbon emissions as countries transition to cleaner energy sources.
  • Compare countries or regions with high fossil fuel dependency to those with higher renewable energy shares.
• Potential Insights: This analysis could highlight the environmental impact of different energy sources and track progress towards emissions reductions.

Citation

Hannah Ritchie, Pablo Rosado and Max Roser (2023) - “Energy” Published online at OurWorldinData.org. Retrieved from: https://ourworldindata.org/energy [Online Resource]

The average for 2022 based on 42 countries was 3189.07 kilograms of oil equivalent. The highest value was in Iceland: 15856.43 kilograms of oil equivalent and the lowest value was in Albania: 780.74 kilograms of oil equivalent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Brazil BR: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data was reported at 2,916.486 kWh in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,787.761 kWh for 2022. Brazil BR: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 2,137.462 kWh from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,916.486 kWh in 2023 and a record low of 1,459.389 kWh in 1990. Brazil BR: Electric Power Consumption: per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Brazil – Table BR.World Bank.WDI: Environmental: Energy Production and Consumption. Electric power consumption measures the production of power plants and combined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants.;IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/energy-statistics-data-browser;Weighted average;

There are large inequalities in energy consumption between countries. The average US citizen still consumes more than ten times the energy of the average Indian, 4-5 times that of a Brazilian, and three times more than China. The gulf between these and very low-income nations is even greater- a number of low-income nations consume less than 100 kilowatt-hour equivalents per person.

Secondly, global average per capita energy consumption has been consistently increasing; between 1970 and 2014, average consumption increased by approximately 45%.

This growth in per capita energy consumption does, however, vary significantly between countries and regions. Most of the growth in per capita energy consumption over the last few decades has been driven by increased consumption in transitioning middle-income (and to a lesser extent, low income countries). In the chart we see a significant increase in consumption in transitioning BRICS economies (China, India and Brazil in particular); China’s per capita use has grown by nearly 250 percent since 2000; India by more than 50 percent; and Brazil by 38 percent.

Whilst global energy growth is growing from developing economies, the trend for many high-income nations is a notable decline. As we see in exemplar trends from the UK and US, the growth we are currently seeing in transitioning economies ended for many high-income nations by over the 1970s and 80s. Both the US and UK peaked in terms of per capita energy consumption in the 1970s, plateauing for several decades until the early 2000s. Since then, we see a reduction in consumption; since 2000, UK usage has decreased by 20 to 25%.

Source

Hannah Ritchie (2019) - "Access to Energy". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/energy-access'

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.

This database contains kWh of power consumed per capita for countries worldwide. Columns: - Country Name - Country Code (alpha-3 iso) - Indicator Name (Electric power consumption (kWh per capita)) - Indicator Code

Source: World Bank Open Data