China vs United States: Electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables
China
6,175 terawatt-hours
in 2025
United States
2,576 terawatt-hours
in 2025
China rank
1st
United States rank
2nd
Electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 6,175 terawatt-hours against 2,576 terawatt-hours in United States, a difference of 3,599 terawatt-hours.
That makes China's figure about 2.4 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 41 shared years of data; in 1985 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 208 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and United States in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 394.59 terawatt-hours | 2,037 terawatt-hours | 1,642 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 1990s | 764.82 terawatt-hours | 2,477 terawatt-hours | 1,712 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 2000s | 1,988 terawatt-hours | 2,809 terawatt-hours | 821.76 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 2010s | 4,318 terawatt-hours | 2,713 terawatt-hours | 1,605 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2020s | 5,868 terawatt-hours | 2,524 terawatt-hours | 3,344 terawatt-hours | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables, China or United States?
- China, at 6,175 terawatt-hours against 2,576 terawatt-hours in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables between China and United States?
- 3,599 terawatt-hours, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 208 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured in terawatt-hours.