Its coal demand reached 4,953 Mt in 2025, about 40% more than the rest of the world combined, while India and the US ranked second and third.
The heavy use reflects reliance on coal-fired baseload power for industry, steel and cement production, despite China also leading the world in renewable energy capacity.
China and India together account for 71% of global coal use, as consumption falls in Europe and the US but remains resilient across Asia's emerging markets.
Can India’s infrastructure ambitions survive its crippling dependency on foreign coking coal?
As grid instability stalls the green transition, is reliable coal power making an unexpected comeback?
With experts predicting an Asian coal surge, are global climate goals becoming an impossible dream?