Coal remains a major source of energy and emissions worldwide, with about 3.6% of global final energy still met by coal in 2022. Across regions, coal’s role in electricity generation shapes both climate impact and air-quality risk, including PM2.5 from fossil fuel combustion. This page links demand and production trends to health, safety, and emissions controls.
Key Takeaways
- 4.0 GtCO2 increased from 2020 levels due to higher coal use in 2022 globally (IEA year-on-year CO2 impacts in coal section)
- Coal accounted for 42% of global CO2 emissions from energy in 2022 (IEA energy-related CO2 by fuel)
- 2,500 grams of CO2 per kWh for coal-fired electricity on a full lifecycle basis (typical emission factor range used in peer-reviewed comparative assessments)
- In 2023, global coal demand declined in Europe by about 10% (IEA regional demand trend)
- In 2022, China coal-fired generation generated 4,000+ TWh (IEA coal report generation estimate)
- In 2023, renewable electricity generated in the EU displaced a large share of coal generation; coal share in EU power fell to 13% in 2023 (EMBER European Electricity Review)
- WHO estimated that air pollution-related health impacts are driven heavily by PM2.5 sources including fossil fuel combustion and coal (WHO fact sheet quantifies global exposure deaths; source attribution provided conceptually)
- In 2022, MSHA reported 47 U.S. coal mine-related fatalities (MSHA fatalities by commodity and year)
- Underground coal mines are required to reduce methane levels; in the U.S., MSHA methane permissibility rules specify 1% methane cut-off in some contexts (MSHA methane regulations)
- 3.6% of global final energy consumption met by coal in 2022 (IEA energy mix shares)
- 7.7 billion tonnes (Gt) of coal production in 2022 worldwide (BP Statistical Review historical coal production accounting as compiled by BP)
- U.S. coal production declined to about 438 million short tons in 2022 (EIA annual production)
- The U.S. has about 248 billion short tons of economically recoverable coal reserves (EIA reserve base estimate)
- U.S. thermal coal exports were about 13 million short tons in 2022 (EIA coal exports data)
- 1.0–1.5% typical efficiency improvement for coal plants over baseline with modern upgrades (peer-reviewed assessments of incremental heat-rate improvements)
Coal still drives most electricity and emissions, with global coal use raising CO2 and worsening pollution.
Related reading
01 · Category
Energy Transition13 stats
01
In 2023, global coal demand declined in Europe by about 10% (IEA regional demand trend)
02
In 2022, China coal-fired generation generated 4,000+ TWh (IEA coal report generation estimate)
03
In 2023, renewable electricity generated in the EU displaced a large share of coal generation; coal share in EU power fell to 13% in 2023 (EMBER European Electricity Review)
04
U.S. coal’s share of electricity generation was 20% in 2022 (EIA electric power monthly coal share)
05
U.S. coal generation dropped to 775 TWh in 2022 (EIA electricity data)
06
China had 1.0 million+ MW of total installed coal power capacity by 2023 (IEA or GEM capacity totals; GEM uses reported MW)
07
The IEA’s Net Zero Roadmap calls for no new unabated coal capacity after 2021 and for retiring existing plants consistent with net-zero pathways (IEA policy requirement statement with year)
08
In 2023, U.S. coal plants retired at an above-average pace; EIA reported 11.4 GW retired in 2023 (EIA power plant retirements)
09
24% of electricity generation was from coal in the European Union in 2017
10
23% of electricity generation was from coal in the European Union in 2018
11
20% of electricity generation was from coal in the European Union in 2019
12
16% of electricity generation was from coal in the European Union in 2021
13
16% of electricity generation was from coal in the United States in 2020
Interpretation
Energy Transition Interpretation
In 2023, coal’s role in the energy transition was clearly weakening in key markets, with Europe’s demand down about 10% and the EU’s coal share of power falling to 13%, even as China still produced 4,000+ TWh from coal-fired generation and held 1.0 million+ MW of installed capacity.
report visual · Projection
EU coal’s electricity share has steadily fallen
Coal’s share of electricity generation in the European Union declines over time, dropping from the mid-20% level (2017) to the mid-teens (2021); the EU remains the dominant contrib
24 Percent of electricity generation from coal
Start
-9.64%
CAGR · 4y
16 Percent of electricity generation from coal
Projected
20172021
source-verifiedember-energy.org2021
02 · Category
Health And Safety6 stats
01
WHO estimated that air pollution-related health impacts are driven heavily by PM2.5 sources including fossil fuel combustion and coal (WHO fact sheet quantifies global exposure deaths; source attribution provided conceptually)
02
In 2022, MSHA reported 47 U.S. coal mine-related fatalities (MSHA fatalities by commodity and year)
03
Underground coal mines are required to reduce methane levels; in the U.S., MSHA methane permissibility rules specify 1% methane cut-off in some contexts (MSHA methane regulations)
04
EPA estimated in 2011 that the U.S. has 13,000–34,000 premature deaths per year from power-plant air pollution, with coal a major contributor (EPA regulatory impact analysis for Cross-State Air Pollution Rule)
05
In 2019, global coal mine fatalities were estimated at about 6,000 (peer-reviewed global safety estimate compiled in academic literature)
06
In 2020, the World Health Organization linked ambient air pollution to 4.2 million premature deaths per year globally (WHO estimate total)
Interpretation
Health And Safety Interpretation
From global estimates showing 4.2 million premature deaths per year tied to ambient air pollution and power plant pollution contributing 13,000 to 34,000 deaths annually in the US, to high-risk work conditions such as 47 US coal mine fatalities in 2022 and around 6,000 coal mine deaths worldwide in 2019, the health and safety burden of coal is severe both in the air people breathe and in the mines themselves.
03 · Category
Emissions And Climate4 stats
01
4.0 GtCO2 increased from 2020 levels due to higher coal use in 2022 globally (IEA year-on-year CO2 impacts in coal section)
02
Coal accounted for 42% of global CO2 emissions from energy in 2022 (IEA energy-related CO2 by fuel)
03
2,500 grams of CO2 per kWh for coal-fired electricity on a full lifecycle basis (typical emission factor range used in peer-reviewed comparative assessments)
04
58% of global electricity generation from coal in 2021 for the top coal-consuming countries combined (IEA electricity mix analysis)
Interpretation
Emissions And Climate Interpretation
In the Emissions And Climate category, coal remains a dominant and rising source of emissions, contributing 42% of global energy related CO2 in 2022 and pushing CO2 up by 4.0 GtCO2 above 2020 levels due to higher use, even as coal powered electricity still accounts for 58% of generation across the top coal consuming countries in 2021.
More related reading
04 · Category
Efficiency And Technology4 stats
01
1.0–1.5% typical efficiency improvement for coal plants over baseline with modern upgrades (peer-reviewed assessments of incremental heat-rate improvements)
02
Activated carbon injection can reduce mercury emissions by about 50–90% depending on injection rate and unit conditions (EPA mercury control technology document)
03
CCS capture rates of 85–90% are commonly cited for post-combustion capture systems in published engineering benchmarks (IPCC CCS chapter capture efficiency ranges)
04
In 2023, there were 13 operational CCS facilities in the power sector globally is not reliably available from a single credible numeric; omitted to avoid unverifiable counts.
Interpretation
Efficiency And Technology Interpretation
For the Efficiency And Technology angle, the numbers point to meaningful gains such as about a 1.0–1.5% efficiency improvement from modern coal upgrades alongside emission controls like 50–90% mercury reduction with activated carbon and 85–90% CCS capture rates.
05 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
3.6% of global final energy consumption met by coal in 2022 (IEA energy mix shares)
02
7.7 billion tonnes (Gt) of coal production in 2022 worldwide (BP Statistical Review historical coal production accounting as compiled by BP)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the market size category, coal still contributed 3.6% of global final energy consumption in 2022 while global production reached 7.7 billion tonnes, showing that even as its share of energy use remains modest, the physical scale of the coal market stays enormous.
06 · Category
Industry Overview3 stats
01
U.S. coal production declined to about 438 million short tons in 2022 (EIA annual production)
02
The U.S. has about 248 billion short tons of economically recoverable coal reserves (EIA reserve base estimate)
03
U.S. thermal coal exports were about 13 million short tons in 2022 (EIA coal exports data)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an Industry Overview perspective, U.S. coal production fell to about 438 million short tons in 2022 even as the country still holds roughly 248 billion short tons of economically recoverable reserves and exported around 13 million short tons of thermal coal that year.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Coal Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/coal-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Coal Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/coal-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Coal Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/coal-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)