Oil share of electricity — all countries

Oil share of electricity — High-income countries

Oil share of electricity in high-income countries in 2021 — 3.05%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 3.42 pp.

2021 3.05% +0.04 pp vs 2020
World rank
Period maximum 6.46%2000
Period minimum 3.01%2020

Trend over time

2000–2021 · % of generation

Oil share of electricity — High-income countries, 2000–202134567200020032006200920122015201820212000: 6.46%2001: 6.18%2002: 6.05%2003: 6.26%2004: 5.75%2005: 5.67%2006: 4.89%2007: 5.11%2008: 4.66%2009: 4.36%2010: 4.12%2011: 4.69%2012: 5.13%2013: 4.46%2014: 4.35%2015: 4.29%2016: 3.84%2017: 3.49%2018: 3.16%2019: 3.03%2020: 3.01%2021: 3.05%
Change over the period: −3.42 pp Annual average: -0.16 pp

Comparison, 2021

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

High-income countries 3.05%
World 2.77%
Oil share of electricity — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 3.05 +0.04 pp
2020 3.01 −0.02 pp
2019 3.03 −0.14 pp
2018 3.16 −0.33 pp
2017 3.49 −0.35 pp
2016 3.84 −0.45 pp
2015 4.29 −0.06 pp
2014 4.35 −0.12 pp
2013 4.46 −0.67 pp
2012 5.13 +0.44 pp
2011 4.69 +0.57 pp
2010 4.12 −0.24 pp
2009 4.36 −0.3 pp
2008 4.66 −0.45 pp
2007 5.11 +0.22 pp
2006 4.89 −0.78 pp
2005 5.67 −0.08 pp
2004 5.75 −0.51 pp
2003 6.26 +0.21 pp
2002 6.05 −0.13 pp
2001 6.18 −0.28 pp
2000 6.46

About the indicator

The share of electricity generated from oil and petroleum products. In large power systems this share is close to zero: burning oil for electricity is expensive, and it is more profitable to send it to transport. It is high where there is no other choice — on islands and in isolated systems, to which diesel can be shipped but where a pipeline or a large hydro plant cannot be built. A high value therefore usually says not that a country is rich in oil but that it is isolated.

Important: Aggregates are weighted by generation in terawatt-hours and computed from 2000 onward. A high value usually means an isolated power system rather than oil wealth.

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