Coal emissions worldwide - statistics & facts

Coal was the main primary energy source used to power the industrial revolution. Some 250 years later, it has continued to play an important role in the global power sector and other parts of the economy. However, coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel, emitting roughly twice the carbon dioxide (CO₂) as natural gas when burned. Since 1750, coal has produced more cumulative emissions than any other fuel type, at more than 800 billion metric tons (GtCO₂).

Coal is a major contributor to climate change. Therefore, the phasing out of this polluting fossil fuel is considered by many experts to be vital for the world to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Coal consumption and emissions

Global coal consumption has grown by more than 50 percent since the turn of the century, and although demand has slowed in recent years, coal still accounts for roughly 70 percent of global power sector emissions. In turn, in the past two decades, coal combustion emissions have risen sharply, totaling 15 GtCO₂ in 2021. This growth is mainly attributable to China, the biggest emitter from coal use by a wide margin. China, which has more than 1,000 coal plants operating within its borders, tripled its coal emissions between 2000 and 2021, to a high of 7.9 GtCO₂. Other developing and emerging economies like India and Indonesia have also seen a dramatic increase in emissions from coal. Meanwhile, historical coal polluters such as the United States and Germany have significantly cut emissions in recent decades due to the displacement of coal by natural gas and renewable energy sources.

Phasing out coal: net-zero transition

As the largest source of global GHG emissions, the phasing out of coal will be an important milestone in order to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate. Many countries around the world are already well into the process of retiring coal-fired power plants and transitioning to cleaner energy sources. Globally, the planned capacity of coal-fired power plants has fallen substantially in recent years. However, many obstacles remain. Despite the consensus that new coal power plants are not compatible with climate targets, China approved plans to construct 8.63 gigawatts of coal power in the first half of 2022, citing energy security concerns as the reason. Additionally, many banks are still heavily investing in coal, despite net-zero pledges.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Biggest source of GHG emissions: Coal

Global CO₂ emissions from coal: 15 GtCO₂

Biggest emitter from coal combustion: China

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Coal

Leading countries based on hard coal production 2021

Emissions

CO₂ emissions from coal use in China 1960-2022

Emissions

Global CO₂ emissions from coal use 1960-2022, by select country

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Overview

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Distribution of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions worldwide from 1750 to 2022, by fuel and industry type
Premium Statistic Global cumulative CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
Global cumulative CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
Cumulative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions worldwide from 1750 to 2022, by fuel and industry type (in billion metric tons)
Basic Statistic Global power sector emissions 2000-2022, by source
Global power sector emissions 2000-2022, by source
Power sector emissions worldwide from 2000 to 2022, by source (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)
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Carbon content of fossil fuels by type (in pounds of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units)

Consumption

Premium Statistic Global coal consumption 1998-2022
Global coal consumption 1998-2022
Coal consumption worldwide from 1998 to 2022 (in exajoules)
Premium Statistic Countries with the largest share of coal consumption globally 2022
Countries with the largest share of coal consumption globally 2022
Leading countries by coal consumption share worldwide in 2022
Basic Statistic Global capacity of proposed coal power plants by status 2014-2023
Global capacity of proposed coal power plants by status 2014-2023
Capacity of proposed coal power plants worldwide from 2014 to 2023, by status (in gigawatts)
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Global operational coal-fired power stations by country 2023
Countries and territories with the largest number of operational coal power plants worldwide as of July 2023
Basic Statistic Installed global coal power plant capacity in select countries 2023
Installed global coal power plant capacity in select countries 2023
Countries with largest installed capacity of coal power plants worldwide as of July 2023 (in gigawatts)
Premium Statistic Global coal share in power mix 2022, by country
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Share of coal in domestic electricity production in 2022, by key country/region

Greenhouse gas emissions

Basic Statistic Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 1960-2022
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Carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion worldwide from 1960 to 2022 (in million metric tons)
Premium Statistic Global cumulative CO₂ emissions from coal 1750-2022, by country
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Cumulative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal worldwide from 1750 to 2022, by major emitter (in billion metric tons)
Basic Statistic Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 2022, by select country
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 2022, by select country
Carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion worldwide in 2022, by select country (in million metric tons)
Basic Statistic Global CO₂ emissions from coal use 1960-2022, by select country
Global CO₂ emissions from coal use 1960-2022, by select country
Carbon dioxide emissions from coal use in selected countries worldwide from 1960 to 2022 (in million metric tons)
Premium Statistic Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 1990-2022
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Per capita carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal use worldwide from 1990 to 2022 (in metric tons)
Premium Statistic Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 2022, by country
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Per capita carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal use in selected countries worldwide in 2022 (in metric tons)
Basic Statistic Global methane emissions from operational coal mines 2023, by country
Global methane emissions from operational coal mines 2023, by country
Methane emissions from operational coal mines worldwide as of April 2023, by country (in million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent)

Companies

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Coal mine methane (CH4) emissions from state-owned and investor/privately owned enterprises worldwide (in million metric tons)
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Carbon dioxide emissions from the most polluting power plants in the United States in 2022 and 2023 (in million short tons)
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Coal utility companies with the highest emissions in the EU 2021
Emissions volume of largest coal power utilities in the European Union in 2021, by coal type (in million metric tons of CO₂)

Outlook

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Projected consumption of coal worldwide in 2023, by leading country (in million short tons)
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Projected change in baseline anthropogenic methane (CH₄) emissions worldwide from 2020 to 2030, by subsector and model (in million metric tons per year)
Basic Statistic Global methane emissions from proposed coal mines 2023, by country
Global methane emissions from proposed coal mines 2023, by country
Methane emissions from proposed coal mines worldwide as of April 2023, by country (in million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent)
Premium Statistic Projected coal capacity change in the U.S. 2022-2029, by state
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Basic Statistic Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in China 2020-2050, by scenario
Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in China 2020-2050, by scenario
Coal-fired capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in China from 2020 to 2050, by scenario (in gigawatts)
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Coal-fired capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in non-OECD countries from 2010 to 2050, by scenario (in gigawatts)
Basic Statistic Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
Coal-fired capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in OECD countries from 2010 to 2050, by scenario (in gigawatts)

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Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Coal emissions worldwide" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Global coal consumption
161.5 EJ
Detailed statistics
Global coal consumption 1998-2022
Capacity of coal power plants in construction
204.2 GW
Detailed statistics
Global capacity of proposed coal power plants by status 2014-2023
China's share of global coal consumption
55%
Detailed statistics
Countries with the largest share of coal consumption globally 2022

Emission factor of coal
223 lbs CO₂/Btu
Detailed statistics
Fossil fuels carbon content by type
India's annual emissions from coal
1.85 GtCO₂
Detailed statistics
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 2022, by select country
Change in coal emissions in China since 2000
217%
Detailed statistics
Global CO₂ emissions from coal use 1960-2022, by select country