Global primary energy consumption 2021, by country

China is the largest consumer of primary energy in the world, using some 157.65 exajoules in 2021. This is far more than was consumed by the United States, which ranks second. The majority of primary energy fuels 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 of natural gas and renewable sources. Since 2009, the renewables share in total energy consumption has grown to 15.9 percent. Overall, global primary energy consumption has increased over the last decade, but 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.