China Produces More Coal Than Rest of World Combined

China maintained its overwhelming dominance of the global coal market in 2024, producing more coal than the rest of the world combined, according to newly released data from the Statistical Review of World Energy 2025.

The report showed that China produced approximately 4.78 billion tonnes of coal last year, accounting for 51.7% of total global output, underscoring the country’s central role in meeting rising energy demand across Asia.

Despite accelerating investments in renewable energy and global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, coal remains a critical pillar of electricity generation and industrial activity in many emerging economies, particularly across the Asian continent.

The concentration of global coal production remains heavily skewed toward a small group of major producers.

According to the report, the world’s six largest coal-producing nations collectively account for nearly 87% of global supply.

China retained a commanding lead with 4.78 billion tonnes, followed by India with approximately 1.085 billion tonnes, representing 11.7% of world production.

Indonesia ranked third globally with output reaching 836.1 million tonnes, or roughly 9% of total production.

The United States followed in fourth place with 464.6 million tonnes, closely ahead of Australia, which produced 462.9 million tonnes. Russia ranked sixth with around 427.2 million tonnes, representing 4.6% of global output.

South Africa, Germany, Turkey, and Poland also remained among the top coal producers worldwide, though their production levels lagged significantly behind the six dominant players.

The data highlighted the sheer scale of China’s dominance. Even India, the world’s second-largest producer with output exceeding one billion tonnes, remains far behind Beijing’s share of more than half of global production.

The report also revealed that the largest year-on-year increases in coal production between 2023 and 2024 all came from Asian countries, reflecting the region’s growing appetite for energy and industrial expansion.

Turkey recorded the fastest production growth globally, with output rising 16.9% year-on-year. Pakistan followed with growth exceeding 9.5%, while Indonesia expanded production by 7.6%.

India posted growth of more than 7%, while China’s output increased by around 0.9%.

Although Turkey registered the strongest growth rate, it still ranked only ninth globally in overall production volume.

The figures underscore the continuing reliance of many Asian economies on coal to support electricity generation, industrial production, and economic growth, even as Western nations accelerate efforts to phase out fossil fuels as part of broader climate transition strategies.