China Tops Global Energy Supply in 2024 as Renewables See Fastest Growth – EQ
In Short : China led global energy supply in 2024 with 158.88 exajoules, contributing 26.8% of the world’s total. The U.S. followed with 91.83 exajoules, and India ranked third at 38.76 exajoules. Global energy supply rose 1.78%, with all energy types increasing. Renewables grew fastest at 7.6%, while oil remained the top source, supplying 34% of global demand.
In Detail : China emerged as the world’s largest energy supplier in 2024, delivering 158.88 exajoules of energy. This marked a 2.4 percent year-on-year increase and accounted for 26.8 percent of the global energy supply. Over the past decade, from 2014 to 2024, China’s energy supply grew at an average annual rate of 3.1 percent, reflecting steady expansion.
Breaking down China’s 2024 energy supply, coal contributed the most at 92.16 exajoules, followed by oil at 32.27 exajoules and natural gas at 15.64 exajoules. Non-fossil sources also played a role, with nuclear at 4.92 exajoules, hydroelectricity at 4.88 exajoules, and renewables at 13.90 exajoules. This mix highlights the country’s ongoing reliance on coal alongside a gradual shift toward cleaner sources.
The United States was the world’s second-largest energy supplier, contributing 91.83 exajoules in 2024, or 15.5 percent of global supply. This figure represented a modest 0.4 percent increase from the previous year. However, from 2014 to 2024, U.S. energy supply declined by an average of 0.1 percent annually, indicating a plateauing trend.
In the U.S. energy mix, oil was the largest contributor at 35.82 exajoules, followed by natural gas at 32.48 exajoules. Coal added 7.90 exajoules, nuclear power 8.98 exajoules, hydroelectricity 0.86 exajoules, and renewables 6.65 exajoules. While fossil fuels still dominate, renewable and nuclear sources maintain a stable share.
India ranked third globally in 2024 with an energy supply of 38.76 exajoules, growing by 4.3 percent from the previous year and making up 6.5 percent of the global total. Between 2014 and 2024, India’s energy supply saw robust annual growth of 3.9 percent, reflecting its expanding economy and energy demand.
India’s energy portfolio included 22.97 exajoules from coal, 10.90 from oil, 2.53 from natural gas, 0.60 from nuclear energy, 0.56 from hydroelectricity, and 1.77 from renewables. Globally, total energy supply in 2024 reached 592.22 exajoules, with all sources recording growth. Renewables led the increase at 7.6 percent, followed by hydro at 4.5 percent, and nuclear at 2.9 percent, while oil remained the largest source, meeting 34 percent of global demand.
