Alexandra MorenoGlobal coal consumption climbed to a fresh record of 166.0 exajoules in 2025, according to the latest Statistical Review of World Energy, even as the fuel's share of the world's energy mix actually shrank. The numbers tell a story that is far more complicated than a simple comeback or a simple retreat.
In Brief
- Global coal consumption rose 0.7% to 166.0 exajoules in 2025, a new record.
- Coal's share of total energy supply slipped from 27.9% to 27.7% as overall demand grew faster.
- Coal fired electricity generation actually fell 0.3% worldwide, even as total coal use rose.
- China and India together account for almost 70% of global coal consumption.
- US coal consumption jumped 10.4%, the sharpest increase among major economies.
Why Global Coal Consumption Set a Record While Losing Market Share
Total global energy supply grew from 592.2 exajoules in 2024 to 600.3 exajoules in 2025, an increase of roughly 1.4%. Coal grew too, but more slowly, which is how a fuel can hit an all time high in absolute terms while quietly losing ground in relative terms. Renewable energy supply, by contrast, jumped nearly 10% over the same period. The world simply needed enough new energy to make room for both a coal record and a renewables surge at once. That dynamic is common in the middle stages of an energy transition, when older fuels keep expanding even as newer ones grow faster.
Asia's Grip on the Coal Market
The geography of coal use has become the real story. Asia Pacific burned through 138.1 exajoules of coal in 2025, or 83.2% of the global total. China alone accounted for 92.2 exajoules, more than half the world's coal consumption at 55.6%. India added another 23.1 exajoules, or 13.9% of the global figure. Add Indonesia to the mix and three countries alone consumed nearly 73% of all the coal burned on the planet last year.
Non OECD nations, which include China and India, made up 85.2% of global coal consumption in 2025 and have grown their coal use at an average annual rate of 1.9% over the past decade. OECD countries have moved the opposite direction, cutting consumption by 4.8% a year on average. Europe's coal use has become almost marginal by comparison, representing just 4.4% of the global total, with the European Union alone down to 2.8% after another 3.2% annual decline.
Power Generation Fell Even as Overall Use Climbed
One of the more counterintuitive findings in the 2025 data is that coal fired electricity generation actually declined globally, dropping 0.3% to 10,511 terawatt hours, even as total coal consumption set a record. China's coal power output fell 1.1% to 5,756 terawatt hours, and India's dropped 3.0% to 1,464 terawatt hours. Because those two countries generate nearly 69% of the world's coal fired electricity, even modest percentage declines there ripple through the global total. Europe's coal generation fell 3.4%, with the European Union down 3.6% and now representing just 2.6% of the world's coal power output.
The gap between rising consumption and falling power generation points to coal's other uses, particularly in steelmaking, cement production, and broader industrial activity, none of which show up in electricity statistics. Differences in plant efficiency, coal quality, and inventory levels can also cause the two measures to drift apart. Either way, the world managed to burn more coal overall while generating less electricity from it.
America's Coal Rebound, and Its Limits
The United States stood out as the major exception to the broader pattern in developed economies. US coal consumption rose 10.4% to 8.7 exajoules in 2025, coal fired power generation jumped 13.1% to 804 terawatt hours, and domestic production climbed 4.4%. In raw terms, the US increase of about 0.8 exajoules was actually larger than the entire net global increase of roughly 0.7 exajoules, meaning declines elsewhere partially offset the American surge.
Still, this is not a reversal of coal's long decline in the US. Consumption remains about 62% below its 2005 peak, coal fired generation sits roughly 63% under its 2007 high, and production is about 54% below the level reached in 1998. Even after last year's jump, the US accounted for only 5.3% of global coal consumption and 7.7% of global coal fired generation.
Production Held Steady, Trade Slipped
| Metric | 2025 Figure | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Global coal production | 180.8 exajoules | Roughly flat |
| China production share | 52.4% of global total | Up 1.7% |
| China coal imports | Down 10.1% | Displaced by domestic supply |
| Global coal trade | 35.3 exajoules | Down 3.1% |
| Indonesia exports | Down 7.4% | Largest exporter |
| US exports | Down 11.5% | |
| Colombia exports | Down 21.3% |
Global coal production stayed near record territory at 180.8 exajoules but barely moved year over year. China boosted output 1.7% and now supplies 52.4% of the world's coal, while its own imports fell 10.1%, a sign that domestic mining is replacing foreign supply. That shift dragged global coal trade down 3.1% to 35.3 exajoules, with exports falling sharply from Indonesia, the United States, and Colombia. Much of the world's coal, in other words, never crosses a border. It is mined and burned within the same national economies, above all in China and India, which explains why a record consumption year did not translate into a trade boom.
Put together, the 2025 figures resist easy headlines. Coal is not vanishing, and the energy transition has not stalled either. What has emerged instead is a market split cleanly in two: a shrinking coal footprint across Europe and North America's power sector, set against an Asian industrial base where coal remains foundational to steel, cement, and electricity supply. That divide, more than any single yearly total, will likely define how coal is discussed in the years ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is coal consumption increasing?
Yes, globally coal consumption rose 0.7% in 2025 to a record 166.0 exajoules, though its share of total world energy supply actually declined slightly.
Is China reducing coal consumption?
Not currently. China's coal consumption was nearly unchanged in 2025 at 92.2 exajoules, still more than half the global total, though its coal imports fell as domestic production increased.
Is global coal consumption increasing?
It increased 0.7% in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching a new record high, driven largely by growth in Asia and a sharp rebound in the United States.
Does coal contribute to global warming?
Coal is widely recognized as the most carbon intensive major fossil fuel, and its combustion for electricity and industrial processes remains a significant source of the greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming.
