China: GDP per unit of energy use (PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, China's GDP per unit of energy use (PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent) rose 0.39 on 2023 (from 8.82 to 9.21).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.23 and a typical year strayed about 0.14 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.67 in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.05 in 2003. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.33 a year. A straight line explains 97% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 9.97 for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.51, against 0.95 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, China had the 116th highest value of the 141 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to China in the 2024 ranking

• Brunei Darussalam — 113th of 141: 10.08
• Haiti — 114th of 141: 9.75
• Iraq — 115th of 141: 9.41
• Canada — 117th of 141: 9.2
• United Arab Emirates — 118th of 141: 8.98
• Burkina Faso — 119th of 141: 8.72

What this measures

GDP per unit of energy use is the PPP GDP per kilogram of oil equivalent of energy use. PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to current international dollars using purchasing power parity rates based on the 2017 ICP round. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as a U.S. dollar has in the United States.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 35 values

GDP per unit of energy use (PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent) in nearby economies

• Australia — 14.42 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 10.08 (2024)
• Cambodia — 13.46 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 52.2 (2024)
• Indonesia — 16.15 (2024)
• Japan — 18.03 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 10.97 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 11.63 (2024)
• Malaysia — 12.23 (2024)

More environment data for China

• Population in largest city — 30.48 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 3.27% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 460.16 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 32.72% (2025)
• Rural population — 473.41 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 33.66% (2025)
• Urban population — 933.17 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 66.34% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 81.95 million (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is China's GDP per unit of energy use (PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent)?

9.21 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 618.82% from 1.28 in 1990 (5.97% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 9.21 in 2024 and the lowest 1.28 in 1990.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EG.GDP.PUSE.KO.PP, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA), uri: https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/energy-statistics-data-browser, publisher: International Energy Agency (IEA), date accessed: 2025-03-25 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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