An country’s energy mix is a breakdown of the sources a country gets their energy from.
This is a simple guide that outlines and lists the energy mix in each major energy consuming country in the world.
Summary – Energy Sources & Energy Mixes In Different Countries
The countries in the headings below have been chosen to be featured as they are some of the biggest energy consumers in the world
Globally, fossil fuels still account for majority of energy production – coal and natural gas are the most used energy fuels for generating electricity (and oil plays a part in transport obviously)
Two of the biggest energy consumers in the world are China, and the United States
China consumes most of it’s energy from coal at 60.4%
The United States gets most of it’s energy production from Natural Gas at 31.8% and Petroleum at 28%
Some others of note are India mainly using coal and crude oil for primary energy, and Russia using natural gas and oil (both as of 2018)
There is a difference between energy production and energy consumption, where produced energy can be consumed internally or exported, whereas consumed energy is consumed solely within the country (and can be produced inside or outside the country)
There is a difference between the energy production of a country (which might include both electricity and vehicle energy for example), and electricity production of a country (which is just electricity on it’s own)
Also note that there is a difference between total energy, and energy per capita/per person
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In United States
Read more about the United States’ energy breakdown in this summary guide.
US primary energy production in 2017 was:
Natural Gas—31.8%
Petroleum (crude oil and natural gas plant liquids)—28.0%
Coal—17.8%
Renewable Energy—12.7%
Nuclear Electric Power—9.6%
– eia.gov
In 2018, the sources of electricity generation specifically were:
Natural gas – 35%
Coal – 27%
Nuclear Energy – 19%
Renewable energy sources – 17% (Hydropower 7%, Wind 7%, Biomass 2%, Solar 2%, Geothermal less than 1%)
Petroleum – less than 1%
– eia.gov
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In China
Read more about China’s energy breakdown in this summary guide.
In 2017, China’s energy consumption breakdown was:
Coal – 60.4%
Crude Oil – 18.8%
Natural Gas – 7%
Renewables & Other – 13.8%
– chinapower.csis.org
In 2017, China’s electricity generation breakdown by source was:
Coal – 64.7%
Hydropower – 18.1%
Wind – 4.7%
Nuclear – 3.9%
Natural Gas – 3.2%
Other Thermal – 1.9%
Solar – 1.8%
Biomass – 1.2%
Pumped Storage Hydro – 0.5%
– wikipedia.org
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In India
A primary energy consumption breakdown in India in 2018 was:
Coal – 55.88%
Crude Oil – 29.55%
Natural Gas – 6.17%
Hydro Electricity – 3.91%
Renewable Power – 3.40%(excluding traditional biomass use)
Nuclear Energy 1.09%
– en.wikipedia.org
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Russia
In 2018, the % share of energy consumption was:
Natural Gas – 54%
Oil – 21%
Coal – 12%
Nuclear – 6.4%
Hydro – 6.0%
– bp.com
In 2018, the % share of electricity generation was:
Natural Gas – 47%
Nuclear – 18%
Hydro – 17%
Coal – 16%
Oil – 1%
– bp.com
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Canada
Primary energy production by source in Canada in 2016 was:
Crude oil – 31%
Uranium – 32%
Natural gas – 24%
Hydro – 5%
Coal – 5%
Other Renewables – 3%
Natural Gas Liquids – 2%
– nrcan.gc.ca
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Japan
Japan’s primary energy consumption in 2015 was:
Petroleum and other liquids – 42%
Coal – 27%
Natural gas – 23%
Hydro – 5%
Other Renewables – 3%
Nuclear – Roughly 1%
– eia.gov
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Brazil
Brazil’s primary energy consumption in 2017 was:
Petroleum and other liquids – 46%
Hydroelectric power – 28%
Natural gas – 11%
Renewables – 8%
Coal – 6%
Nuclear – 1%
– eia.gov
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In South Korea
South Korea’s total primary energy consumption by fuel type in 2017 was:
Petroleum and other liquids – 44%
Coal – 29%
Natural gas – 14%
Nuclear – 11%
Renewable sources – 2%
– eia.gov
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Germany
German power production breakdown in 2018 was:
Renewables – 34.9% (wind onshore 14.3%, solar 7.2%, biomass 7%, wind offshore 3%, hydropower 2.6%, waste 1%)
Lignite/Brown Coal – 22.5%
Black Coal – 12.9%
Natural Gas – 12.9%
Nuclear – 11.8%
Other – 4.2%
Mineral Oil – 0.8%
– cleanenergywire.org
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In The UK
UK energy use by source in 2017 was:
Gas – 39%
Oil – 35.8%
Bioenergy – 8.3%
Nuclear – 7.9%
Coal – 5.3%
Wind, solar and hydro – 3%
Imports – 0.7%
– carbonbrief.org
Electricity generation in the UK in 2016 was:
Natural Gas – 42%
Coal – 9%
Other Fossil Fuels – 3.1%
Nuclear – 21%
Renewables (wind, wave, marine, hydro, biomass and solar) – 24.5%
– energy-uk.org.uk
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Australia
In 2015, electricity generation by energy source was:
Coal – 73%
Natural Gas – 13%
Hydropower – 7%
Wind – 4%
Rooftop Solar – 2%
Bioenergy – 1%
– originenergy.com.au
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Saudi Arabia
In 2016, energy consumption by energy sources was:
Crude oil and petroleum liquids – 63%
Natural Gas – 37%
– eia.gov
Energy Mix & Energy Sources In Italy
Gross energy production in Italy in 2014 was:
Natural Gas – 33.5%
Hydro – 21.5%
Coal – 15.5%
Solar – 8%
Other – remainder of the %
– wikipedia.org
Energy Mix & Energy Sources Worldwide
In 2014, the share of world energy consumption for electricity generation by source was coal at 41%, natural gas at 22%, nuclear at 11%, hydro at 16%, other sources (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, etc.) at 6% and oil at 4%.
Coal and natural gas were the most used energy fuels for generating electricity.
– wikipedia.org
Read more about worldwide energy production and energy consumption stats at ourworldindata.org
Sources
1. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/?page=us_energy_home
2. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=electricity_in_the_united_states
3. https://chinapower.csis.org/energy-footprint/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_China
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_policy_of_India
6. https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2019-russia-insights.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_Russia
8. https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-facts/energy-and-economy/20062#L2
9. https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=JPN
10. https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=BRA
11. https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=KOR
12. https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-energy-consumption-and-power-mix-charts
13. https://www.carbonbrief.org/six-charts-show-mixed-progress-for-uk-renewables
14. https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/about-energy/energy-in-australia.html
15. https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=SAU
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_consumption
17. https://ourworldindata.org/energy-production-and-changing-energy-sources
18. https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/our-work/generation/electricity-generation.html