Global per capita consumption of coal 2015, by select country

Global per capita consumption of coal is about 0.74 metric tons of coal equivalent as of 2015. Australia is one of the largest per capita consumers in the world, totaling 2.77 metric tons of coal equivalent. More and more countries are debating the elimination of coal power plants; however, coal also remains a primary source of energy in many other countries. In some countries like China and India, coal demand has witnessed an increase. The electricity consumption of growing populations in South and Southeast Asia’s is supported by new coal plants under construction and is the main driver of demand growth. In Asia, coal remains popular due to affordability and availability, however, demand will be dampened by expansion of renewable technologies and supercritical technologies in coal plants.

Decline in coal demand

Coal demand is expected to stabilize over the next years as Europe and North America experience a decline to offset the growth of coal demand in India and Southeast Asia. Increasing pressure to phase out coal-powered energy comes from climate policies, coal divestment campaigns, and decreasing costs of renewable and natural gas supplies.