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Built 2026-11-05 (5 November 2026)

Brazil vs China: Electricity Compared

Brazil generated 764 TWh of electricity in 2025 and China 10,506 TWh, according to Ember. Brazil's largest source was hydro (52.1%); China's was coal (54.8%). Each kWh generated emitted 109 gCO2/kWh in Brazil and 528 gCO2/kWh in China. These are Ember annual statistics for 2025, compiled from national sources; they are not real time.

Who is bigger and who is cleaner? China is the bigger electricity producer, generating 13.8 times as much as Brazil in 2025 (10,506 TWh against 764 TWh). Brazil has the cleaner electricity by carbon intensity, at 109 gCO2/kWh against 528 gCO2/kWh in China in 2025.

Why this comparison: both among the 20 largest electricity users.

Open this comparison in the interactive tool to add more countries or change the metric.

Key Facts

  • Coal supplied 54.8% of China's electricity in 2025, against 2.1% in Brazil.
  • China's electricity was 4.8 times as carbon intensive as Brazil's in 2025, at 528 gCO2/kWh against 109 gCO2/kWh.
  • The average person in China used 7.46 MWh of electricity in 2025, 2.1 times as much as in Brazil (3.58 MWh).
  • Low carbon sources supplied 88.9% of Brazil's electricity in 2025 and 41.1% of China's.
  • Electricity demand in 2025 was 775 TWh in Brazil and 10,486 TWh in China.

Key Figures, 2025

Ember annual statistics
Measure Brazil China
Total generation764 TWh10,506 TWh
Electricity demand775 TWh10,486 TWh
Demand per person3.58 MWh7.46 MWh
Carbon intensity109 gCO2/kWh528 gCO2/kWh
Power sector emissions83.4 MtCO25,550 MtCO2
Low carbon share88.9%41.1%
Largest sourceHydro 52.1%Coal 54.8%

Generation Mix, 2025

Share of generation
Source Brazil China
Coal 2.1% 54.8%
Hydro 52.1% 13.3%
Wind 15.2% 10.7%
Solar 11.5% 11.2%
Bioenergy 8.1% 1.3%
Gas 7.8% 3.2%
Nuclear 2.1% 4.6%
Other fossil 1.3% 0.9%

Carbon Intensity, 1985 to 2025

Ember annual statistics
Carbon intensity of electricity in Brazil and China, 1985 to 2025 Carbon intensity of electricity generated in Brazil and China each year from 1985 to 2025, in gCO2/kWh. In 2025 it was 109 gCO2/kWh in Brazil and 528 gCO2/kWh in China. 0 200 400 600 800 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Carbon intensity of electricity generated in Brazil and China each year from 1985 to 2025, in gCO2/kWh. In 2025 it was 109 gCO2/kWh in Brazil and 528 gCO2/kWh in China.
Annual statistics through 2025, gCO2/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity in Brazil and China, 1985 to 2025
YearBrazilChina
198561 gCO2/kWh709 gCO2/kWh
198685 gCO2/kWh728 gCO2/kWh
198774 gCO2/kWh739 gCO2/kWh
198866 gCO2/kWh740 gCO2/kWh
198966 gCO2/kWh740 gCO2/kWh
199060 gCO2/kWh745 gCO2/kWh
199162 gCO2/kWh766 gCO2/kWh
199263 gCO2/kWh778 gCO2/kWh
199361 gCO2/kWh759 gCO2/kWh
199461 gCO2/kWh761 gCO2/kWh
199563 gCO2/kWh753 gCO2/kWh
199668 gCO2/kWh771 gCO2/kWh
199771 gCO2/kWh772 gCO2/kWh
199871 gCO2/kWh774 gCO2/kWh
199990 gCO2/kWh787 gCO2/kWh
200089 gCO2/kWh784 gCO2/kWh
2001106 gCO2/kWh763 gCO2/kWh
200297 gCO2/kWh773 gCO2/kWh
200391 gCO2/kWh791 gCO2/kWh
2004102 gCO2/kWh779 gCO2/kWh
200599 gCO2/kWh782 gCO2/kWh
200696 gCO2/kWh787 gCO2/kWh
200791 gCO2/kWh785 gCO2/kWh
2008114 gCO2/kWh747 gCO2/kWh
200987 gCO2/kWh753 gCO2/kWh
2010114 gCO2/kWh742 gCO2/kWh
2011100 gCO2/kWh754 gCO2/kWh
2012128 gCO2/kWh722 gCO2/kWh
2013168 gCO2/kWh719 gCO2/kWh
2014193 gCO2/kWh696 gCO2/kWh
2015189 gCO2/kWh670 gCO2/kWh
2016150 gCO2/kWh653 gCO2/kWh
2017156 gCO2/kWh646 gCO2/kWh
2018137 gCO2/kWh639 gCO2/kWh
2019142 gCO2/kWh622 gCO2/kWh
2020133 gCO2/kWh609 gCO2/kWh
2021168 gCO2/kWh602 gCO2/kWh
2022103 gCO2/kWh590 gCO2/kWh
202396 gCO2/kWh586 gCO2/kWh
2024106 gCO2/kWh559 gCO2/kWh
2025109 gCO2/kWh528 gCO2/kWh

Demand per Person, 1985 to 2025

Ember annual statistics
Electricity demand per person in Brazil and China, 1985 to 2025 Electricity demand per person in Brazil and China each year from 1985 to 2025, in MWh. In 2025 it was 3.58 MWh in Brazil and 7.46 MWh in China. 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Electricity demand per person in Brazil and China each year from 1985 to 2025, in MWh. In 2025 it was 3.58 MWh in Brazil and 7.46 MWh in China.
Annual statistics through 2025, MWh
Electricity demand per person in Brazil and China, 1985 to 2025
YearBrazilChina
1985n/an/a
1986n/an/a
1987n/an/a
1988n/an/a
1989n/an/a
1990n/an/a
1991n/an/a
1992n/an/a
1993n/an/a
1994n/an/a
1995n/an/a
1996n/an/a
1997n/an/a
1998n/an/a
1999n/an/a
20002.25 MWh1.06 MWh
20012.08 MWh1.15 MWh
20022.14 MWh1.28 MWh
20032.23 MWh1.47 MWh
20042.33 MWh1.69 MWh
20052.39 MWh1.90 MWh
20062.47 MWh2.17 MWh
20072.57 MWh2.47 MWh
20082.66 MWh2.61 MWh
20092.64 MWh2.76 MWh
20102.84 MWh3.10 MWh
20112.91 MWh3.46 MWh
20123.01 MWh3.63 MWh
20133.08 MWh3.93 MWh
20143.12 MWh4.17 MWh
20153.05 MWh4.16 MWh
20163.05 MWh4.36 MWh
20173.06 MWh4.67 MWh
20183.09 MWh5.04 MWh
20193.17 MWh5.26 MWh
20203.13 MWh5.44 MWh
20213.24 MWh5.97 MWh
20223.28 MWh6.20 MWh
20233.43 MWh6.64 MWh
20243.57 MWh7.10 MWh
20253.58 MWh7.46 MWh

Brazil history · China history

Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025.

Cite this page
APA 7

World Power Monitor. (2025). Brazil vs China: Electricity Compared. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/brazil-vs-china/

Plain text

World Power Monitor. Brazil vs China: Electricity Compared. Data as of 2025. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/brazil-vs-china/

BibTeX 
@misc{wpm_compare_brazil_vs_china_2025,
  title = {{Brazil vs China: Electricity Compared}},
  author = {{World Power Monitor}},
  year = {2025},
  note = {Data as of 2025. Data from Ember.},
  url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/brazil-vs-china/}
}

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