Energy
The world lacks a safe, low-carbon, and cheap large-scale energy infrastructure.
Until we scale up such an energy infrastructure, the world will continue to face two energy problems: hundreds of millions of people lack access to sufficient energy, and the dominance of fossil fuels in our energy system drives climate change and other health impacts such as air pollution.
To ensure everyone has access to clean and safe energy, we need to understand energy consumption and its impacts around the world today and how this has changed over time.
On this page, you can find all our data, visualizations, and writing relating to energy.
Research & Writing
The world’s energy problem
The world faces two energy problems: most of our energy still produces greenhouse gas emissions, and hundreds of millions lack access to energy.
What are the safest and cleanest sources of energy?
Fossil fuels are the dirtiest and most dangerous energy sources, while nuclear and modern renewable energy sources are vastly safer and cleaner.
Why did renewables become so cheap so fast?
In most places power from new renewables is now cheaper than new fossil fuels.
Overview Articles on Energy
Energy Access and Consumption
Energy poverty and indoor air pollution: a problem as old as humanity that we can end within our lifetime
The number of people without electricity more than halved over the last 20 years
How many people do not have access to clean fuels for cooking?
Global comparison: how much energy do people consume?
The ‘Energy Ladder’: What energy sources do people on different incomes rely on?
Energy Sources and Transitions
How have the world’s energy sources changed over the last two centuries?
Is the world making progress in decarbonizing energy?
A number of countries have decoupled economic growth from energy use, even if we take offshored production into account
How much energy do countries consume when we take offshoring into account?
Energy Prices and Impacts
More Key Articles on Energy
Interactive Charts on Energy
Carbon intensity of electricity generation
Electricity production by sourceAbsolute area chart
Electricity production from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables
Energy use per person
Global primary energy consumption by sourceStacked area chart
Per capita electricity generation
Share of electricity generated by low-carbon sources
Share of electricity production by sourceIndividual sources
Share of electricity production from renewable sources
Share of the population with access to electricity
Changes in energy use vs. changes in GDP
Coal productionLong-run series
Coal productionSince 1981
Coal production per capita
Consumption-based energy intensity per dollar
Consumption-based energy use per person
Death rates per unit of electricity production
Direct primary energy consumption from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables
Electricity as a share of primary energy
Electricity consumption from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables
Electricity demand
Electricity generation
Electricity generation from coal
Electricity generation from fossil fuels
Electricity generation from gas
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources
Electricity generation from oil
Electricity generation from renewables
Electricity production by sourceLine chart
Electricity production by sourceRelative area chart
Energy consumption by source
Energy embedded in traded goods as a share of domestic energy
Energy imports and exports
Energy intensityWorld Bank
Energy intensity
Energy intensity by sector
Fossil fuel consumptionBy type
Fossil fuel consumptionBy country
Fossil fuel consumption per capita
Fossil fuel consumption per capita by sourceStacked area chart
Fossil fuel consumption per capita by sourceLine chart
Gas consumption
Gas consumption by region
Gas production
Gas production per capita
Gas reserves
Global direct primary energy consumption
Global fossil fuel consumption
Global hydropower consumption
Global installed renewable energy capacity by technology
Global primary energy consumption by sourceLine chart
Hydropower generation
Hydropower generation by region
Installed geothermal energy capacity
Installed solar energy capacity
Installed wind energy capacity
Levelized cost of energy by technology
Long-term energy transitions
Low-carbon electricity generation per capita
Low-carbon energy consumption
Modern renewable energy generation by source
Natural gas production by region
Net electricity imports
Net energy embedded in traded goods
Nuclear power generation
Number of people with and without electricity access
Number of people without access to electricityBy world region
Number of people without access to electricityBy country
Oil consumption
Oil consumption by region
Oil production
Oil production by region
Oil production per capita
Oil reserves
People without clean fuels for cooking, by world region
Per capita consumption of low-carbon energy
Per capita electricity generation by source
Per capita electricity generation from fossil fuels
Per capita electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables
Per capita electricity generation from gas
Per capita electricity generation from hydropower
Per capita electricity generation from nuclear
Per capita electricity generation from oil
Per capita electricity generation from renewables
Per capita electricity generation from solar
Per capita electricity generation from solar and wind
Per capita electricity generation from wind
Per capita energy consumption from coal
Per capita energy consumption from hydropower
Per capita energy consumption from nuclear
Per capita energy consumption from renewables
Per capita energy consumption from solar
Per capita energy consumption from solar and wind
Per capita energy consumption from wind
Per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables
Per capita gas consumption
Per capita generation of coal electricity
Per capita oil consumption
Per capita primary energy consumption by source
Primary direct energy consumption by source
Primary energy consumption
Primary energy consumption by sourceOver time
Primary energy consumption by sourceBy country
Primary energy consumption by world region
Primary energy consumption from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables
Primary energy consumption from hydropower
Primary energy consumption from nuclear
Primary energy consumption from renewables
Primary energy consumption from solar
Primary energy consumption from solar and wind
Primary energy consumption from wind
Production vs. consumption-based carbon intensity of energy
Production- vs. consumption-based energy use per person
Production-based vs. consumption-based energy use
Renewable electricity generationStacked area chart
Renewable energy consumption
Renewable energy generationLine chart
Share of direct primary energy consumption by source
Share of electricity generation from fossil fuels, renewables and nuclear
Share of electricity production by sourceFaceted
Share of electricity production by sourceBroad types
Share of electricity production from coal
Share of electricity production from fossil fuels
Share of electricity production from gas
Share of electricity production from hydropower
Share of electricity production from nuclear
Share of electricity production from oil
Share of electricity production from renewables
Share of electricity production from solar
Share of electricity production from solar and wind
Share of electricity production from wind
Share of energy consumption by source
Share of final energy use that comes from renewable sources
Share of global primary energy consumption by source
Share of primary energy consumption from coal
Share of primary energy consumption from fossil fuels
Share of primary energy consumption from gas
Share of primary energy consumption from hydroelectric power
Share of primary energy consumption from low-carbon sources
Share of primary energy consumption from nuclear
Share of primary energy consumption from oil
Share of primary energy consumption from renewable sources
Share of primary energy consumption from solar
Share of primary energy consumption from solar and wind
Share of primary energy consumption from wind
Share of primary energy consumption that comes from nuclear and renewables
Solar (photovoltaic) panel prices
Solar (photovoltaic) panel prices vs. cumulative capacity
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity
Solar and wind power generation
Solar energy generation by region
Solar power generation
The long-term energy transition in Europe
Wind energy generation by region
Wind power generation
Absolute annual change in primary energy consumption
Access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use
Access to electricity vs. GDP per capita
Annual change in coal energy consumption
Annual change in fossil fuel consumption
Annual change in gas consumption
Annual change in hydropower generation
Annual change in low-carbon energy generation
Annual change in nuclear energy generation
Annual change in oil consumption
Annual change in primary energy consumption
Annual change in renewable energy generation
Annual change in solar and wind energy generation
Annual change in solar energy generation
Annual change in wind energy generation
Annual patents filed for carbon capture and storage technologies
Annual patents filed for electric vehicle technologies
Annual patents filed for energy storage technologies
Annual patents filed for renewable energy technologies
Annual patents filed in sustainable energy
Annual percentage change in coal energy consumption
Annual percentage change in fossil fuel consumption
Annual percentage change in gas consumption
Annual percentage change in hydropower generation
Annual percentage change in low-carbon energy generation
Annual percentage change in nuclear energy generation
Annual percentage change in oil consumption
Annual percentage change in renewable energy generation
Annual percentage change in solar and wind energy generation
Annual percentage change in solar energy generation
Annual percentage change in wind energy generation
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables
Changes in energy use vs. changes in GDP per capita
Coal energy consumption per capita vs. GDP per capita
Coal prices
Coal production and imports in the United KingdomTonnes
Coal production per capita over the long-term
Cobalt production
Crude oil prices
Crude oil spot prices
Death rate from indoor air pollution vs. per capita energy use
Electricity production in the United Kingdom
Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita
Energy use per person vs. GDP per capita
Fossil fuel price index
Fossil fuel production over the long-term
Fossil fuel production per capita
GDP per capita vs. energy use
Graphite production
Has a country already reached SDG target on electricity access?
Has country already reached SDG target on clean cooking fuels?
How have things changed?
Hubbert's peak prediction vs. actual oil production in the United States
Hypothetical number of deaths from energy production
Investment in renewable energy, by technology
Kaya identity: drivers of CO₂ emissions
Lithium production
Natural gas prices
Net electricity imports as a share of electricity demand
Per capita CO₂ emissions by source
Per capita CO₂ emissions vs. per capita energy consumption
Per capita consumption of low-carbon energy vs. GDP per capita
Per capita electricity consumption vs. GDP per capita
Per capita fossil energy consumption vs. GDP per capita
Primary energy mix in the United Kingdom
Renewable and nuclear energy: direct vs. substituted energy
Renewable energy investment
Share of primary energy that is low-carbon vs. GDP per capita
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access
Share of schools with access to electricity
Share of the population with access to basic services
Share of total energy used in agriculture and forestry
Share with access to electricity vs. per capita energy consumption
Solar energy generation vs. capacity
The cost of 66 different technologies over time
Uranium production
When will countries phase out coal power?
Wind energy generation vs. installed capacity
World crude oil price vs. oil consumption
Year-to-year change in primary energy consumption by source
Year-to-year change in primary energy consumption from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy
Year-to-year percentage change in primary energy consumption
Years of fossil fuel reserves left
Cite this work
Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. When citing this topic page, please also cite the underlying data sources. This topic page can be cited as:
Hannah Ritchie, Pablo Rosado and Max Roser (2023) - “Energy” Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/energy' [Online Resource]BibTeX citation
@article{owid-energy,
author = {Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado and Max Roser},
title = {Energy},
journal = {Our World in Data},
year = {2023},
note = {https://ourworldindata.org/energy}
}
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