China Coal Power: Generation, Share and Trend
China generated 5,756 TWh of electricity from coal in 2025, 54.8% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the largest coal power producer in 2025 of the 84 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Coal supplied 33.2% of the world's electricity in 2025. These are annual statistics for 2025, with monthly figures through September 2026; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- China generated 5,756 TWh of electricity from coal in 2025.
- Coal supplied 54.8% of China's electricity in 2025.
- China was the largest coal power producer in 2025 among the 84 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- China's coal generation in 2025 was 17% higher than in 2020, when it was 4,931 TWh.
- China's coal generation in 2025 was 42% higher than in 2015, when it was 4,059 TWh.
- China's coal generation peaked at 5,836 TWh in 2024.
- China's coal share in 2025 was above the world share of 33.2%.
- China had 1,243 GW of coal generating capacity in 2025.
- Coal power in China emitted 5,200 MtCO2 in 2025, 94% of the power sector's emissions.
Key Figures, 2025
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Coal generation | 5,756 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Share of China's electricity | 54.8% | 2025 · Ember |
| World share of coal | 33.2% | 2025 · Ember |
| Rank by coal generation (each country's latest year) | 1 of 84 | 2025 · Ember |
| Coal capacity | 1,243 GW | 2025 · Ember |
| Coal power emissions | 5,200 MtCO2 | 2025 · Ember |
Coal Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 1985 to 2025| Year | Coal |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 261 TWh |
| 1986 | 300 TWh |
| 1987 | 340 TWh |
| 1988 | 374 TWh |
| 1989 | 405 TWh |
| 1990 | 441 TWh |
| 1991 | 498 TWh |
| 1992 | 567 TWh |
| 1993 | 589 TWh |
| 1994 | 693 TWh |
| 1995 | 742 TWh |
| 1996 | 824 TWh |
| 1997 | 867 TWh |
| 1998 | 892 TWh |
| 1999 | 970 TWh |
| 2000 | 1,060 TWh |
| 2001 | 1,129 TWh |
| 2002 | 1,283 TWh |
| 2003 | 1,520 TWh |
| 2004 | 1,722 TWh |
| 2005 | 1,980 TWh |
| 2006 | 2,302 TWh |
| 2007 | 2,657 TWh |
| 2008 | 2,709 TWh |
| 2009 | 2,912 TWh |
| 2010 | 3,244 TWh |
| 2011 | 3,702 TWh |
| 2012 | 3,760 TWh |
| 2013 | 4,090 TWh |
| 2014 | 4,218 TWh |
| 2015 | 4,059 TWh |
| 2016 | 4,166 TWh |
| 2017 | 4,443 TWh |
| 2018 | 4,776 TWh |
| 2019 | 4,865 TWh |
| 2020 | 4,931 TWh |
| 2021 | 5,341 TWh |
| 2022 | 5,422 TWh |
| 2023 | 5,761 TWh |
| 2024 | 5,836 TWh |
| 2025 | 5,756 TWh |
| Year | China | World |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 63.5% | n/a |
| 1986 | 66.7% | n/a |
| 1987 | 68.4% | n/a |
| 1988 | 68.5% | n/a |
| 1989 | 69.3% | n/a |
| 1990 | 71.0% | n/a |
| 1991 | 73.6% | n/a |
| 1992 | 75.3% | n/a |
| 1993 | 72.6% | n/a |
| 1994 | 74.7% | n/a |
| 1995 | 73.7% | n/a |
| 1996 | 76.2% | n/a |
| 1997 | 76.4% | n/a |
| 1998 | 76.4% | n/a |
| 1999 | 78.2% | n/a |
| 2000 | 78.2% | 38.0% |
| 2001 | 76.3% | 38.0% |
| 2002 | 77.5% | 38.3% |
| 2003 | 79.6% | 39.5% |
| 2004 | 78.2% | 39.0% |
| 2005 | 79.2% | 39.5% |
| 2006 | 80.3% | 40.2% |
| 2007 | 81.0% | 40.8% |
| 2008 | 77.5% | 40.2% |
| 2009 | 78.4% | 39.9% |
| 2010 | 77.3% | 39.8% |
| 2011 | 78.7% | 40.6% |
| 2012 | 75.5% | 39.9% |
| 2013 | 75.5% | 40.8% |
| 2014 | 73.0% | 40.5% |
| 2015 | 70.0% | 38.7% |
| 2016 | 68.3% | 37.8% |
| 2017 | 67.6% | 38.0% |
| 2018 | 67.0% | 38.0% |
| 2019 | 65.1% | 36.7% |
| 2020 | 63.7% | 35.4% |
| 2021 | 62.9% | 36.0% |
| 2022 | 61.6% | 35.6% |
| 2023 | 61.3% | 35.2% |
| 2024 | 58.2% | 34.2% |
| 2025 | 54.8% | 33.2% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity | Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,756 TWh | 54.8% | 33.2% | 1,243 GW | 5,200 MtCO2 |
| 2024 | 5,836 TWh | 58.2% | 34.2% | 1,173 GW | 5,285 MtCO2 |
| 2023 | 5,761 TWh | 61.3% | 35.2% | 1,147 GW | 5,226 MtCO2 |
| 2022 | 5,422 TWh | 61.6% | 35.6% | 1,101 GW | 4,928 MtCO2 |
| 2021 | 5,341 TWh | 62.9% | 36.0% | 1,074 GW | 4,862 MtCO2 |
| 2020 | 4,931 TWh | 63.7% | 35.4% | 1,049 GW | 4,497 MtCO2 |
| 2019 | 4,865 TWh | 65.1% | 36.7% | 1,019 GW | 4,449 MtCO2 |
| 2018 | 4,776 TWh | 67.0% | 38.0% | 977 GW | 4,380 MtCO2 |
| 2017 | 4,443 TWh | 67.6% | 38.0% | 954 GW | 4,084 MtCO2 |
| 2016 | 4,166 TWh | 68.3% | 37.8% | 921 GW | 3,840 MtCO2 |
Full year by year history for China
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.
Coal Generation Month by Month
Ember monthly statistics through September 2026| Month | Coal |
|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 438 TWh |
| 2024-11 | 474 TWh |
| 2024-12 | 553 TWh |
| 2025-01 | 514 TWh |
| 2025-02 | 421 TWh |
| 2025-03 | 466 TWh |
| 2025-04 | 408 TWh |
| 2025-05 | 419 TWh |
| 2025-06 | 451 TWh |
| 2025-07 | 549 TWh |
| 2025-08 | 570 TWh |
| 2025-09 | 472 TWh |
| 2025-10 | 467 TWh |
| 2025-11 | 453 TWh |
| 2025-12 | 534 TWh |
| 2026-01 | 498 TWh |
| 2026-02 | 464 TWh |
| 2026-03 | 488 TWh |
| 2026-04 | 422 TWh |
| 2026-05 | 431 TWh |
| 2026-06 | 455 TWh |
| 2026-07 | 530 TWh |
| 2026-08 | 546 TWh |
| 2026-09 | 465 TWh |
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of September 2026. Monthly figures for China can differ slightly from the annual totals.
Related
Cite this page
World Power Monitor. (2026). China Coal Power: Generation, Share and Trend. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/china/coal/
World Power Monitor. China Coal Power: Generation, Share and Trend. Data as of 2026-09. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/china/coal/
@misc{wpm_countries_china_coal_2026,
title = {{China Coal Power: Generation, Share and Trend}},
author = {{World Power Monitor}},
year = {2026},
note = {Data as of 2026-09. Data from Ember.},
url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/china/coal/}
} Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/china/coal/
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