United States vs USSR: Year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs.
United States
54.79 terawatt-hours
in 2025
USSR
120.82 terawatt-hours
in 1984
United States rank
4th
USSR rank
2nd
Year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. over time
- United States
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 120.82 terawatt-hours against 54.79 terawatt-hours in United States, a difference of 66.03 terawatt-hours.
That makes USSR's figure about 2.2 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 19 shared years of data; in 1966 it was USSR ahead.
United States ranks 4th and USSR ranks 2nd of 80 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United States | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 25.44 terawatt-hours | 9.78 terawatt-hours | 15.66 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 1970s | 85.22 terawatt-hours | 22.65 terawatt-hours | 62.57 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 1980s | 66.19 terawatt-hours | 57.21 terawatt-hours | 8.97 terawatt-hours | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy, United States or USSR?
- USSR, at 120.82 terawatt-hours against 54.79 terawatt-hours in United States as of 1984.
- What is the difference in year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy between United States and USSR?
- 66.03 terawatt-hours, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United States and USSR?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 1966 to 1984.
- How do United States and USSR rank globally for year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy?
- United States ranks 4th and USSR ranks 2nd of 80 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Change in total energy supply relative to the previous year, measured in terawatt-hours.