Coal share of electricity — all countries

Coal share of electricity — Low-income countries

Coal share of electricity in low-income countries in 2021 — 6.76%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 4.48 pp.

2021 6.76% −1.27 pp vs 2020
World rank
Period maximum 11.24%2000
Period minimum 6.18%2011

Trend over time

2000–2021 · % of generation

Coal share of electricity — Low-income countries, 2000–2021681012200020032006200920122015201820212000: 11.24%2001: 10.7%2002: 9.84%2003: 9.64%2004: 9.26%2005: 8.96%2006: 8.83%2007: 6.96%2008: 7.48%2009: 8.8%2010: 7.72%2011: 6.18%2012: 6.94%2013: 7.28%2014: 7.68%2015: 7.99%2016: 9.02%2017: 9.43%2018: 9.17%2019: 9.38%2020: 8.04%2021: 6.76%
Change over the period: −4.48 pp Annual average: -0.21 pp

Comparison, 2021

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Low-income countries

Low-income countries 6.76%
World 35.99%
Coal share of electricity — Low-income countries, by year Low-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 6.76 −1.27 pp
2020 8.04 −1.34 pp
2019 9.38 +0.21 pp
2018 9.17 −0.26 pp
2017 9.43 +0.41 pp
2016 9.02 +1.03 pp
2015 7.99 +0.31 pp
2014 7.68 +0.4 pp
2013 7.28 +0.33 pp
2012 6.94 +0.76 pp
2011 6.18 −1.54 pp
2010 7.72 −1.08 pp
2009 8.8 +1.32 pp
2008 7.48 +0.52 pp
2007 6.96 −1.88 pp
2006 8.83 −0.13 pp
2005 8.96 −0.3 pp
2004 9.26 −0.38 pp
2003 9.64 −0.2 pp
2002 9.84 −0.87 pp
2001 10.7 −0.54 pp
2000 11.24

About the indicator

The share of electricity generated from coal in a country's total generation. Coal remains the largest source of electricity in the world despite plant closures in Europe and North America: growth in Asia outweighs that decline. In emissions per kilowatt-hour coal is about twice as bad as gas, which is why this share does more than anything else to set the carbon intensity of a country's electricity.

Important: Aggregates for groups of countries are weighted by electricity generation in terawatt-hours — the only correct weight for a share of generation. The weight series comes from Ember and starts in 2000, so there are no aggregates for earlier years, even though country data go back to 1960.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.