Hard coal production worldwide 2022, by leading country

China is by far the leading hard coal producer worldwide. In 2022, the economic powerhouse was responsible for over 4.17 billion metric tons of hard coal produced. In 2023, China was also the leading global coal consumer, at nearly 92 exajoules. 

The United States has the greatest hard coal reserves

Hard coal refers to anthracite, which has the highest density and least volatile matter among all forms of coal. In the past, it was the main fuel for locomotives. Today, it is primarily used for metallurgy. It is differentiated from soft coal, or bituminous coal, which has a lower fixed carbon content and includes greater amounts of sulfur and nitrogen. 

Although China has the largest hard coal production output, the United States holds the greatest reserves of the highly sought-after coal type. As of 2022, some 218 billion metric tons of hard coal were accessible to U.S. miners. 

Coal and electricity

Hard coal is counted among thermal coals or steam coals, which are a blend of different coal types used to generate electricity. Thermal coals also include bituminous coal and lignite and may be ground into a powder and mixed depending on the furnace system they will be used for. Since 1985, worldwide generation of coal-fired power increased by roughly six petawatt hours to a peak of approximately 10.5 terawatt hours in 2023.