China Has the Most Coal Capacity, 1,173 GW in 2024

Ember's latest complete year of installed capacity data is 2024. Among the 50 countries with at least 1.00 GW of coal capacity in 2024, China has the most, 1,173 GW, and it also added the most since 2019, +154 GW. Canada ran its coal plants at the highest capacity factor, 84.7%. Worldwide, coal capacity was 2,168 GW in 2024, against 2,061 GW in 2019.

Key Facts

The latest complete Ember year of installed capacity data is 2024; each country is compared with its own 2019 and 2014 figures.
World coal capacity was 2,168 GW in 2024, 2,061 GW in 2019 and 1,847 GW in 2014.
World coal generation was 10,546 TWh in 2024, a capacity factor of 55.4% on 2,168 GW.
China has the most coal capacity: 1,173 GW in 2024, generating 5,836 TWh.
Over 2019 to 2024, China added the most coal capacity: +154 GW, to 1,173 GW.
Over 2014 to 2024, China added the most coal capacity: +354 GW, to 1,173 GW.
Indonesia grew fastest in percentage terms since 2019 among countries that already had 1.00 GW or more: +65%.
Capacity factor in 2024 ranged from 0.0% in Moldova to 84.7% in Canada, across 50 countries with a usable figure.

Countries With the Most Coal Capacity, 2024

Ember, 2009 to 2024

Installed capacity, 2024

Installed coal capacity in 2024, GW
China	1,173 GW
India	241 GW
United States	193 GW
Indonesia	56.7 GW
Japan	55.3 GW
South Africa	46.7 GW
South Korea	41.2 GW
Russia	37.2 GW
Germany	32.3 GW
Poland	27.9 GW

Highest capacity factor, 2024

Highest coal capacity factor in 2024, percent
Canada	84.7%
Colombia	79.3%
Dominican Republic	77.3%
Malaysia	76.7%
Mongolia	73.9%
Laos	73.8%
Cambodia	73.5%
Morocco	72.9%
Philippines	72.3%
India	71.6%

Installed coal capacity in GW for the five countries with the most in 2024, 2009 to 2024. China ends at 1,173 GW; India ends at 241 GW; United States ends at 193 GW; Indonesia ends at 56.7 GW; Japan ends at 55.3 GW.

Annual statistics, 2009 to 2024

Installed coal capacity, five largest countries
Year	China	India	United States	Indonesia	Japan
2009	580 GW	87.8 GW	336 GW	11.2 GW	42.6 GW
2010	634 GW	99.0 GW	339 GW	11.9 GW	43.6 GW
2011	692 GW	113 GW	340 GW	15.6 GW	43.6 GW
2012	740 GW	132 GW	334 GW	19.6 GW	43.6 GW
2013	787 GW	149 GW	329 GW	22.0 GW	45.5 GW
2014	819 GW	169 GW	324 GW	23.0 GW	45.5 GW
2015	880 GW	190 GW	302 GW	25.3 GW	45.5 GW
2016	921 GW	207 GW	287 GW	26.7 GW	45.7 GW
2017	954 GW	212 GW	278 GW	29.2 GW	46.1 GW
2018	977 GW	218 GW	262 GW	30.0 GW	46.3 GW
2019	1,019 GW	226 GW	246 GW	34.4 GW	47.1 GW
2020	1,049 GW	226 GW	234 GW	37.3 GW	48.7 GW
2021	1,074 GW	231 GW	225 GW	39.8 GW	50.6 GW
2022	1,101 GW	232 GW	210 GW	46.9 GW	53.3 GW
2023	1,147 GW	238 GW	200 GW	53.6 GW	55.6 GW
2024	1,173 GW	241 GW	193 GW	56.7 GW	55.3 GW

Coal Capacity, Growth and Capacity Factor by Country, 2024

50 countries

Installed coal capacity by country in 2024, change since 2019 and 2014, generation and capacity factor. Column headings sort the table.
Country	Capacity 2024	Change since 2019	Growth since 2019	Change since 2014	Growth since 2014	Generation 2024	Capacity factor 2024
China	1,173 GW	+154 GW	+15%	+354 GW	+43%	5,836 TWh	56.6%
India	241 GW	+15.9 GW	+7%	+72.0 GW	+42%	1,518 TWh	71.6%
United States	193 GW	-52.8 GW	-21%	-131 GW	-41%	652 TWh	38.5%
Indonesia	56.7 GW	+22.3 GW	+65%	+33.7 GW	+146%	228 TWh	45.9%
Japan	55.3 GW	+8.18 GW	+17%	+9.80 GW	+22%	327 TWh	67.4%
South Africa	46.7 GW	+2.81 GW	+6%	+7.58 GW	+19%	207 TWh	50.4%
South Korea	41.2 GW	+3.34 GW	+9%	+13.9 GW	+51%	191 TWh	52.7%
Russia	37.2 GW	-3.48 GW	-9%	-5.49 GW	-13%	207 TWh	63.4%
Germany	32.3 GW	-13.8 GW	-30%	-17.8 GW	-36%	106 TWh	37.4%
Poland	27.9 GW	-2.37 GW	-8%	-1.07 GW	-4%	93.5 TWh	38.1%
Vietnam	27.1 GW	+8.24 GW	+44%	+18.7 GW	+222%	153 TWh	64.3%
Australia	22.8 GW	-2.27 GW	-9%	-5.46 GW	-19%	127 TWh	63.5%
Turkey	21.0 GW	+1.67 GW	+9%	+6.86 GW	+48%	121 TWh	65.7%
Taiwan	18.9 GW	-730 MW	-4%	+2.69 GW	+17%	116 TWh	69.6%
Malaysia	13.3 GW	0 GW	0%	+5.60 GW	+73%	89.5 TWh	76.7%
Kazakhstan	13.2 GW	-180 MW	-1%	+430 MW	+3%	69.4 TWh	59.8%
Philippines	12.5 GW	+2.23 GW	+22%	+6.63 GW	+113%	79.4 TWh	72.3%
Pakistan	7.79 GW	+2.67 GW	+52%	+7.64 GW	+5,093%	20.2 TWh	29.5%
Czechia	7.46 GW	-1.10 GW	-13%	-970 MW	-12%	26.5 TWh	40.5%
Bangladesh	6.03 GW	+5.51 GW	+1,060%	+5.78 GW	+2,312%	20.3 TWh	38.3%
Thailand	5.99 GW	-150 MW	-2%	+210 MW	+4%	33.3 TWh	63.2%
Mexico	5.38 GW	0 GW	0%	0 GW	0%	12.4 TWh	26.2%
Italy	5.19 GW	-3.29 GW	-39%	-4.71 GW	-48%	3.95 TWh	8.7%
Serbia	4.82 GW	+350 MW	+8%	+350 MW	+8%	23.3 TWh	54.9%
Bulgaria	4.66 GW	-450 MW	-9%	-1.24 GW	-21%	8.76 TWh	21.4%
Israel	4.32 GW	-580 MW	-12%	-580 MW	-12%	11.5 TWh	30.3%
Hong Kong	4.11 GW	-2.00 GW	-33%	-2.50 GW	-38%	12.6 TWh	34.9%
Morocco	4.09 GW	-170 MW	-4%	+1.57 GW	+62%	26.2 TWh	72.9%
Chile	3.83 GW	-1.36 GW	-26%	-610 MW	-14%	13.6 TWh	40.3%
Netherlands	3.50 GW	-600 MW	-15%	-760 MW	-18%	7.47 TWh	24.3%
Canada	3.38 GW	-5.79 GW	-63%	-6.60 GW	-66%	25.1 TWh	84.7%
North Korea	3.38 GW	+20 MW	+1%	+420 MW	+14%	9.23 TWh	31.1%
Brazil	3.10 GW	-80 MW	-3%	-250 MW	-7%	16.2 TWh	59.5%
Romania	2.90 GW	-2.06 GW	-42%	-3.85 GW	-57%	7.96 TWh	31.2%
Uzbekistan	2.49 GW	0 GW	0%	-90 MW	-3%	5.70 TWh	26.1%
Spain	2.12 GW	-7.83 GW	-79%	-9.23 GW	-81%	2.58 TWh	13.9%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	2.09 GW	0 GW	0%	+300 MW	+17%	9.13 TWh	49.7%
Greece	1.99 GW	-1.79 GW	-47%	-2.94 GW	-60%	3.27 TWh	18.7%
France	1.91 GW	-1.46 GW	-43%	-3.51 GW	-65%	1.02 TWh	6.1%
Laos	1.88 GW	0 GW	0%	+1.88 GW	n/a	12.2 TWh	73.8%
Zimbabwe	1.67 GW	+720 MW	+76%	+720 MW	+76%	4.40 TWh	30.0%
Colombia	1.61 GW	0 GW	0%	+600 MW	+59%	11.2 TWh	79.3%
Cambodia	1.46 GW	+960 MW	+192%	+1.23 GW	+535%	9.43 TWh	73.5%
Moldova	1.40 GW	0 GW	0%	0 GW	0%	0 TWh	0.0%
Kosovo	1.33 GW	0 GW	0%	0 GW	0%	6.16 TWh	52.7%
Finland	1.16 GW	-830 MW	-42%	-1.43 GW	-55%	830 GWh	8.1%
Mongolia	1.15 GW	+240 MW	+26%	+400 MW	+53%	7.47 TWh	73.9%
Hungary	1.13 GW	0 GW	0%	-60 MW	-5%	2.44 TWh	24.6%
Slovenia	1.07 GW	0 GW	0%	+200 MW	+23%	3.50 TWh	37.2%
Dominican Republic	1.06 GW	+370 MW	+54%	+750 MW	+242%	7.20 TWh	77.3%

Countries with at least 1.00 GW of coal capacity in 2024: 50 are listed, and 26 countries with less are left out. Each is compared with its own 2019 and 2014 values; a country that has not published 2024 is not listed, and a blank means Ember has no figure. Growth in percent is shown only when the earlier year had at least 100 MW; a tiny base gives meaningless percentages.

How Capacity Factor Is Calculated

2024, 8,784 hours

Capacity factor is a country's coal generation in 2024 divided by its installed capacity times the 8,784 hours in 2024, using the same year for both. It is the share of the year the fleet would have needed to run at full output to produce what it did. Guards: the factor is left blank where capacity is missing or under 1.00 GW, where generation is missing, and where it comes out above 100% (none here), which is treated as a data error or under reported capacity. If capacity grew during 2024, the factor is understated, because a full year of output is set against the larger figure.

Lowest capacity factor, 2024

Lowest coal capacity factor in 2024, percent
Moldova	0.0%
France	6.1%
Finland	8.1%
Italy	8.7%
Spain	13.9%
Greece	18.7%
Bulgaria	21.4%
Netherlands	24.3%
Hungary	24.6%
Uzbekistan	26.1%

Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2024. Installed capacity and generation from Ember annual statistics, complete years to 2024.