Global primary energy consumption 2019-2021, by fuel

Oil is the most consumed primary energy fuel in the world. In 2021, some 184.2 exajoules worth of oil were consumed. This represented an increase of nearly six percent in comparison to the previous year. Hydroelectricity was the only primary energy sources to note a consumption decline that year.

Rising demand for fossil fuels

Demand for fossil fuels – such as natural gas, oil, and coal – has remained high, as overall primary energy demand continues to increase. Excluding the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the use of oil has consistently grown each year. Consumption of other non-renewable fuel types has been more varied, with natural gas briefly overtaking coal as the second-most consumed fuel in 2015. Global natural gas consumption has risen more or less consistently. Its properties as a less carbon-intensive fossil fuel than coal have led to an increase in its use in the power sector, overtaking coal use in major economies such as the United States.

Natural gas use by region

North America has recorded one of the greatest increases in natural gas consumption of world regions as the U.S. has become one of the largest producer in the world. High levels of U.S. supply markedly reduced the price of natural gas in the country in 2020, with natural gas prices for energy generation closing in on coal prices. One year later, however, natural gas prices increased significantly, nearly reaching 2014 levels.