Coal Consumption by Country 2022

First utilized by humans, coal was formed from the fossilized remnants of plants such as ferns, algae, and trees that grew millions of years ago.

It has been used for ages to cook meals, heat houses and businesses, fire furnaces and forges, power steam engines in locomotives and ships, etc. 

Coal is the principal energy source in the United States, which leads the world in oil consumption, although its use has dropped in recent years. By 2016, coal’s share of the country’s power production had dropped from 50 percent in 2008 to around 31 percent.

There is enough coal in the United States to last around 300 years at present use rates, despite its still high consumption.

Although coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels, it is widely used in the United States. Therefore, the United States is aggressively working to reduce its dependency on coal, abandon its role as one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, and become one of the top producers and users of renewable energy in the world.

The 10 most coal-dependent countries in the world (million cubic feet)

1. China — 4,320 trillion MMcf
2. India — 966 trillion MMcf
3. United States — 731 trillion MMcf
4. Germany — 257 trillion MMcf
5. Russia — 230 trillion MMcf
6. Japan — 210 trillion MMcf
7. South Africa — 202 trillion MMcf
8. South Korea — 157 trillion MMcf
9. Poland — 149 trillion MMcf
10. Australia — 130 trillion MMcf

Initially, it seems that the most populated nations in the world, who also happen to be the biggest energy users, will be the ones to use the most coal.

If the total amount of coal used is divided by the number of people living in a nation, countries with the greatest reliance on coal change dramatically.

10 Countries with the World’s Largest Per Capita Coal Use (million cubic feet)

1. Australia — 5,343 MMcf
2. Bulgaria — 4,927 MMcf
3. Serbia — 4,878 MMcf
4. Kazakhstan — 4,858 MMcf
5. Czech Republic — 4,654 MMcf
6. New Caledonia — 4,213 MMcf
7. Poland — 3,917 MMcf
8. South Africa — 3,599 MMcf
9. Greece — 3,587 MMcf
10. Germany — 3,133 MMcf

The environmental impact of coal

Coal is the dirtiest of all regularly used energy sources since it produces the most pollutants of any fossil fuel.

Carbon dioxide (CO2), the most prevalent greenhouse gas, is produced when coal is burnt, releasing many airborne pollutants and large volumes of CO2.

30 percent of global warming, according to climate scientists, is due to the use of coal, largely in power plants.

Many nations have pledged to cut their usage of coal as part of a worldwide transition toward cleaner energy due to data like this, including the 2021 COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Also See: CO2 Emissions by Country 2022

The World’s 10 Lowest Consumption Countries for Coal (million cubic feet)

1. Fiji — 710 MMcf
2. Ghana — 17,099 MMcf
3. Malta — 56,098 MMcf
4. Costa Rica — 109,768 MMcf
5. Azerbaijan — 178,010 MMcf
6. Trinidad & Tobago — 198,416 MMcf
7. Cyprus — 223,541 MMcf
8. Uruguay — 436,631 MMcf
9. Armenia — 1.3 million MMcf
10. Paraguay — 1.7 million MMcf