Primary energy from low-carbon energy in China
China: Primary energy from low-carbon energy was 5,611 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Primary energy from low-carbon energy in China, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary energy from low-carbon energy in China is 5,611 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
That represents a change of up 12.7% on the previous year and up 179.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy from low-carbon energy in China peaked at 5,611 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 19.38 terawatt-hours, in 1967.
That places China 1st out of 77 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 22.02 terawatt-hours | 19.38 terawatt-hours | 23.26 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 39.03 terawatt-hours | 24.04 terawatt-hours | 48.56 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 88.59 terawatt-hours | 58.22 terawatt-hours | 118.41 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 198.41 terawatt-hours | 125.29 terawatt-hours | 250.77 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 575.89 terawatt-hours | 282.19 terawatt-hours | 939.97 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,976 terawatt-hours | 1,063 terawatt-hours | 3,231 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,407 terawatt-hours | 3,462 terawatt-hours | 5,611 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More climate change data for China
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 6.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 1.41 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 933.17 million (2025)
- Urban population 66.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 285.09 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary energy from low-carbon energy in China?
- Primary energy from low-carbon energy in China was 5,611 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy from low-carbon energy recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5,611 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest primary energy from low-carbon energy recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.38 terawatt-hours in 1967.
- How does China rank for primary energy from low-carbon energy?
- China ranks 1st out of 77 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy from low-carbon energy rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 179.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy from low-carbon energy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.