Imagine a world so thirsty for energy that it consumed an astounding 620 exajoules last year alone, yet as our 2022 global energy statistics reveal, this voracious demand is fueling dramatically different stories across continents, sectors, and energy sources.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, global primary energy consumption reached 620 EJ, a 1.1% increase from 2021
- China accounted for 171 EJ of global primary energy consumption in 2022, representing 27.6% of the world total
- United States primary energy consumption was 94.5 EJ in 2022, down 0.7% from the previous year
- Global Oil production reached 99.1 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2022, up 2.8% from 2021
- Saudi Arabia produced 11.1 mb/d of oil in 2022, 11.2% of global total
- United States oil production hit record 20.1 mb/d in 2022
- Global natural gas production was 4,081 bcm in 2022, up 3.7%
- United States natural gas production reached 1,041 bcm in 2022, 25.5% of world
- Russia gas output 631 bcm in 2022, down 10.5% due to war
- Global coal production totaled 8,771 Mt in 2022, up 1.9%
- China coal production 4,627 Mt in 2022, 52.7% of global
- India coal output 900 Mt in 2022, up 14.4%
- Global solar PV capacity reached 1,424 GW at end-2022, up 24%
- Wind capacity installed worldwide 899 GW end-2022
- Hydro capacity global 1,296 GW end-2022
Global energy use grew, but trends varied greatly between nations and fuel sources.
Coal
- Global coal production totaled 8,771 Mt in 2022, up 1.9%
- China coal production 4,627 Mt in 2022, 52.7% of global
- India coal output 900 Mt in 2022, up 14.4%
- Indonesia produced 660 Mt coal in 2022
- Australia coal production 467 Mt in 2022, down 5.9%
- US coal output 540 Mt in 2022, down 3.6%
- Russia coal production 430 Mt in 2022, up 2.5%
- South Africa 248 Mt coal in 2022
- Poland produced 111 Mt coal in 2022, down 10.8%
- Kazakhstan coal output 112 Mt in 2022
- Global coal consumption 8,501 Mt in 2022, flat YoY
- China coal use 4,597 Mt in 2022, 54.1% world share
- India coal consumption 1,192 Mt in 2022, up 13.5%
- US coal use 474 Mt in 2022, down 8.6%
- EU coal consumption fell 20.2% to 280 Mt in 2022
- Japan coal use 104 Mt in 2022, down 4.0%
- South Korea coal consumption 71 Mt in 2022, down 9.4%
- Proven coal reserves globally 1,074 billion tonnes end-2022
- US coal reserves 248 billion tonnes, 23.1% global
- Russia 162 billion tonnes coal reserves end-2022
- Australia 149 billion tonnes reserves
- China 143 billion tonnes coal reserves in 2022
- India 111 billion tonnes reserves end-2022
- Indonesia 35 billion tonnes coal reserves
- Germany 35 billion tonnes reserves in 2022
- Coal power generation was 10,359 TWh globally in 2022, 35.9% of electricity
Coal Interpretation
The world's coal addiction remains firmly in the grip of a few, with China single-handedly producing and consuming over half of it, a stubborn defiance of the energy transition that others are only tentatively beginning to enact.
Natural Gas
- Global natural gas production was 4,081 bcm in 2022, up 3.7%
- United States natural gas production reached 1,041 bcm in 2022, 25.5% of world
- Russia gas output 631 bcm in 2022, down 10.5% due to war
- Iran produced 256 bcm natural gas in 2022
- Qatar gas production 177 bcm in 2022, up 4.1%
- China natural gas output 209 bcm in 2022, up 8.7%
- Australia produced 147 bcm gas in 2022
- Norway gas production 123 bcm in 2022, up 7.5%
- Saudi Arabia gas output 121 bcm in 2022
- Canada produced 195 bcm natural gas in 2022, up 3.2%
- Global natural gas consumption 4,057 bcm in 2022, up 0.7%
- Europe gas consumption dropped 13.2% to 546 bcm in 2022
- China gas demand 364 bcm in 2022, up 8.7%
- US gas consumption 883 bcm in 2022, up 3.7%
- Russia domestic gas use 473 bcm in 2022, down 6.6%
- Japan gas consumption 96 bcm in 2022, down 4.8%
- Proven natural gas reserves globally 188 trillion cubic meters end-2022
- Russia holds 38 trillion cubic meters gas reserves, 20.2% world
- Iran reserves 34 trillion cubic meters end-2022
- Qatar 24 trillion cubic meters gas reserves
- Turkmenistan 14 trillion cubic meters reserves in 2022
- US gas reserves 13.6 trillion cubic meters end-2022
- Saudi Arabia gas reserves 9.5 trillion cubic meters
- UAE 6.1 trillion cubic meters natural gas reserves end-2022
- Global gas-fired power generation share 23% of electricity in 2022
- LNG imports to Europe reached 121 bcm in 2022, up 63%
Natural Gas Interpretation
While America’s fracking boom continues to swell its market share, Russia’s war-torn output plummeted and Europe’s strategic scramble for LNG imports soared, proving that geopolitics, not just geology, now dictates the global gas flow.
Oil
- Global Oil production reached 99.1 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2022, up 2.8% from 2021
- Saudi Arabia produced 11.1 mb/d of oil in 2022, 11.2% of global total
- United States oil production hit record 20.1 mb/d in 2022
- Russia oil output was 10.9 mb/d in 2022 despite sanctions
- Canada produced 5.7 mb/d of oil in 2022, up 6.3%
- China oil production was 4.1 mb/d in 2022, stable
- Iraq output reached 4.5 mb/d in 2022
- UAE produced 4.1 mb/d oil in 2022, up 8.2%
- Iran oil production recovered to 3.5 mb/d in 2022
- Brazil oil output grew to 3.1 mb/d in 2022
- Global oil consumption was 99.7 mb/d in 2022, up 2.0%
- China oil demand 15.0 mb/d in 2022, 15.1% global share
- US oil consumption 19.0 mb/d in 2022
- India oil use rose to 5.4 mb/d in 2022, up 7.7%
- Europe's oil consumption fell to 12.9 mb/d in 2022, down 4.4%
- Proven oil reserves worldwide totaled 1,731 billion barrels at end-2022
- Venezuela holds 303 billion barrels reserves, 17.5% global
- Saudi Arabia reserves 259 billion barrels end-2022
- Canada oil reserves 168 billion barrels, mostly oil sands
- Iran reserves 209 billion barrels in 2022
- Iraq 145 billion barrels oil reserves end-2022
- UAE reserves 111 billion barrels in 2022
- Russia oil reserves 107 billion barrels end-2022
- US shale oil production contributed 9.2 mb/d in 2022
- Global LNG trade volume was 404 bcm in 2022
- Transport oil demand share was 55% of total oil use in 2022
- Petrochemical feedstock oil use grew 3% to 14 mb/d in 2022
Oil Interpretation
The world guzzles nearly 100 million barrels a day with a thirsty gluttony, clinging to trillions more in reserves like a stubborn drunk refusing to call a cab despite the glaringly obvious climate and geopolitical hangover waiting in the morning.
Primary Energy Consumption
- In 2022, global primary energy consumption reached 620 EJ, a 1.1% increase from 2021
- China accounted for 171 EJ of global primary energy consumption in 2022, representing 27.6% of the world total
- United States primary energy consumption was 94.5 EJ in 2022, down 0.7% from the previous year
- India consumed 40.0 EJ of primary energy in 2022, up 4.5% year-on-year
- Russia primary energy use stood at 29.7 EJ in 2022, a 2.3% decline
- Global per capita primary energy consumption averaged 75.6 GJ/person in 2022
- OECD countries consumed 234 EJ in 2022, 37.7% of global total
- Non-OECD consumption grew to 386 EJ in 2022, up 2.2%
- Europe's primary energy consumption fell to 75.4 EJ in 2022, down 4.1%
- Middle East consumed 32.9 EJ in 2022, increasing 1.8%
- Africa's primary energy use was 20.5 EJ in 2022, up 2.9%
- Japan consumed 17.2 EJ in 2022, stable from prior year
- Brazil's primary energy consumption reached 14.5 EJ in 2022, up 1.4%
- South Korea used 12.6 EJ in 2022, down 1.6%
- Canada consumed 13.9 EJ in 2022, up 0.7%
- Global primary energy intensity improved by 1.3% in 2022 to 4.4 koe/USD
- Transport sector accounted for 29% of global primary energy in 2022
- Industry used 37% of primary energy globally in 2022
- Buildings sector consumption was 28% of primary energy in 2022 worldwide
- Global final energy consumption totaled 418 EJ in 2022
- Coal's share in primary energy mix was 26.9% in 2022 globally
- Oil share stood at 31.0% of primary energy in 2022
- Natural gas share was 23.6% in global primary energy 2022
- Renewables (excluding hydro) share reached 7.4% in 2022
- Hydro share was 6.5% of primary energy consumption in 2022
- Nuclear energy share was 4.3% globally in 2022 primary energy
- Traditional biomass share declined to 8.2% in 2022
- Electricity share in final consumption rose to 20.4% in 2022
- In 2021, world primary energy consumption grew by 5.5% to 579 EJ post-COVID recovery
Primary Energy Consumption Interpretation
The world's energy appetite in 2022 paints a portrait of a planet still stubbornly attached to its fossil fuel diet, with a hungrier non-OECD group leading the charge while China alone gulps down more than a quarter of the global meal.
Renewables
- Global solar PV capacity reached 1,424 GW at end-2022, up 24%
- Wind capacity installed worldwide 899 GW end-2022
- Hydro capacity global 1,296 GW end-2022
- China added 87 GW solar PV in 2022, 76% of global additions
- US solar capacity reached 129 GW end-2022
- Germany wind capacity 66 GW end-2022
- India solar capacity 62 GW end-2022, up 165% from 2021
- Brazil hydro capacity 110 GW end-2022
- Global renewable electricity generation 8,751 TWh in 2022, 29.4% of total
- Solar PV generation grew 26% to 1,319 TWh globally in 2022
- Onshore wind generation up 9% to 1,826 TWh in 2022 worldwide
- Offshore wind 147 TWh in 2022 global generation
- Hydropower generation 4,345 TWh in 2022, down 1% due to droughts
- Bioenergy generation 651 TWh globally in 2022
- Global renewable capacity additions 348 GW in 2022, record high
- Renewables share in power generation reached 30% in 2022
- China renewable capacity 1,266 GW end-2022
- EU renewable capacity 785 GW end-2022
- Investment in renewables hit $495 billion in 2022
Renewables Interpretation
Sunlight is now a dominant global power player, with China leading the solar sprint, but Mother Nature—still holding the hydropower crown—is reminding us she controls the taps.