Coal is a major contributor to climate change. Therefore, the phasing out of this polluting fossil fuel is considered by many experts to be vital for the world to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Coal emissions worldwide - statistics & facts
Coal is a major contributor to climate change. Therefore, the phasing out of this polluting fossil fuel is considered by many experts to be vital for the world to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Key insights
- Biggest source of GHG emissions
- Coal
Detailed statistics
Share of global greenhouse gas emissions 2021, by subsector
- Global CO₂ emissions from coal
- 15 GtCO₂
Detailed statistics
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 1960-2022
- Biggest emitter from coal combustion
- China
Detailed statistics
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 2022, by select country
Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic
Further recommended statistics
Overview
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- Premium Statistic Share of global greenhouse gas emissions 2021, by subsector
- Premium Statistic Global breakdown of CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
- Premium Statistic Global cumulative CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
- Basic Statistic Global power sector emissions 2000-2022, by source
- Basic Statistic Fossil fuels carbon content by type
Overview
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Share of global greenhouse gas emissions 2021, by subsector
Share of global greenhouse gas emissions 2021, by subsector
Distribution of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide in 2021, by subsector
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Global breakdown of CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
Global breakdown of CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
Distribution of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions worldwide from 1750 to 2022, by fuel and industry type
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Global cumulative CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
Global cumulative CO₂ emissions 1750-2022, by fuel type
Cumulative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions worldwide from 1750 to 2022, by fuel and industry type (in billion metric tons)
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Basic Statistic
Global power sector emissions 2000-2022, by source
Global power sector emissions 2000-2022, by source
Power sector emissions worldwide from 2000 to 2022, by source (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)
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Basic Statistic
Fossil fuels carbon content by type
Fossil fuels carbon content by type
Carbon content of fossil fuels by type (in pounds of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units)
Consumption
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- Premium Statistic Global coal consumption 1998-2022
- Premium Statistic Countries with the largest share of coal consumption globally 2022
- Basic Statistic Global capacity of proposed coal power plants by status 2014-2023
- Basic Statistic Global operational coal-fired power stations by country 2023
- Basic Statistic Installed global coal power plant capacity in select countries 2023
- Premium Statistic Global coal share in power mix 2022, by country
Consumption
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Global coal consumption 1998-2022
Global coal consumption 1998-2022
Coal consumption worldwide from 1998 to 2022 (in exajoules)
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Countries with the largest share of coal consumption globally 2022
Countries with the largest share of coal consumption globally 2022
Leading countries by coal consumption share worldwide in 2022
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Basic Statistic
Global capacity of proposed coal power plants by status 2014-2023
Global capacity of proposed coal power plants by status 2014-2023
Capacity of proposed coal power plants worldwide from 2014 to 2023, by status (in gigawatts)
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Basic Statistic
Global operational coal-fired power stations by country 2023
Global operational coal-fired power stations by country 2023
Countries and territories with the largest number of operational coal power plants worldwide as of July 2023
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Basic Statistic
Installed global coal power plant capacity in select countries 2023
Installed global coal power plant capacity in select countries 2023
Countries with largest installed capacity of coal power plants worldwide as of July 2023 (in gigawatts)
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Global coal share in power mix 2022, by country
Global coal share in power mix 2022, by country
Share of coal in domestic electricity production in 2022, by key country/region
Greenhouse gas emissions
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- Basic Statistic Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 1960-2022
- Premium Statistic Global cumulative CO₂ emissions from coal 1750-2022, by country
- Basic Statistic Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 2022, by select country
- Basic Statistic Global CO₂ emissions from coal use 1960-2022, by select country
- Premium Statistic Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 1990-2022
- Premium Statistic Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 2022, by country
- Basic Statistic Global methane emissions from operational coal mines 2023, by country
Greenhouse gas emissions
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Basic Statistic
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 1960-2022
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 1960-2022
Carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion worldwide from 1960 to 2022 (in million metric tons)
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Global cumulative CO₂ emissions from coal 1750-2022, by country
Global cumulative CO₂ emissions from coal 1750-2022, by country
Cumulative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal worldwide from 1750 to 2022, by major emitter (in billion metric tons)
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Basic Statistic
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 2022, by select country
Global carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion 2022, by select country
Carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion worldwide in 2022, by select country (in million metric tons)
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Basic Statistic
Global CO₂ emissions from coal use 1960-2022, by select country
Global CO₂ emissions from coal use 1960-2022, by select country
Carbon dioxide emissions from coal use in selected countries worldwide from 1960 to 2022 (in million metric tons)
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Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 1990-2022
Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 1990-2022
Per capita carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal use worldwide from 1990 to 2022 (in metric tons)
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Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 2022, by country
Global CO₂ emissions per capita from coal use 2022, by country
Per capita carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal use in selected countries worldwide in 2022 (in metric tons)
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Basic Statistic
Global methane emissions from operational coal mines 2023, by country
Global methane emissions from operational coal mines 2023, by country
Methane emissions from operational coal mines worldwide as of April 2023, by country (in million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent)
Companies
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- Premium Statistic Leading methane-emitting coal companies worldwide 2021, by ownership type
- Premium Statistic CO₂ emissions from the most polluting power plants in the U.S. 2022-2023
- Premium Statistic Biggest carbon polluters in the European Union 2022
- Premium Statistic Coal utility companies with the highest emissions in the EU 2021
Companies
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Leading methane-emitting coal companies worldwide 2021, by ownership type
Leading methane-emitting coal companies worldwide 2021, by ownership type
Coal mine methane (CH4) emissions from state-owned and investor/privately owned enterprises worldwide (in million metric tons)
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CO₂ emissions from the most polluting power plants in the U.S. 2022-2023
CO₂ emissions from the most polluting power plants in the U.S. 2022-2023
Carbon dioxide emissions from the most polluting power plants in the United States in 2022 and 2023 (in million short tons)
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Biggest carbon polluters in the European Union 2022
Biggest carbon polluters in the European Union 2022
Biggest polluters in the European Union in 2022 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)
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Coal utility companies with the highest emissions in the EU 2021
Coal utility companies with the highest emissions in the EU 2021
Emissions volume of largest coal power utilities in the European Union in 2021, by coal type (in million metric tons of CO₂)
Outlook
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- Premium Statistic Projected global coal consumption by leading country 2023
- Basic Statistic Planned fossil fuel production change in selected countries by fuel type 2030
- Premium Statistic Global projected change in methane emissions 2020-2030, by subsector
- Basic Statistic Global methane emissions from proposed coal mines 2023, by country
- Premium Statistic Projected coal capacity change in the U.S. 2022-2029, by state
- Basic Statistic Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in China 2020-2050, by scenario
- Premium Statistic Coal capacity carbon neutral pathway in non-OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
- Basic Statistic Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
Outlook
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Projected global coal consumption by leading country 2023
Projected global coal consumption by leading country 2023
Projected consumption of coal worldwide in 2023, by leading country (in million short tons)
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Basic Statistic
Planned fossil fuel production change in selected countries by fuel type 2030
Planned fossil fuel production change in selected countries by fuel type 2030
Forecast change in fossil fuel production in selected countries worldwide by 2030 compared with 2019 levels, by fuel type* (in exajoules)
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Global projected change in methane emissions 2020-2030, by subsector
Global projected change in methane emissions 2020-2030, by subsector
Projected change in baseline anthropogenic methane (CH₄) emissions worldwide from 2020 to 2030, by subsector and model (in million metric tons per year)
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Basic Statistic
Global methane emissions from proposed coal mines 2023, by country
Global methane emissions from proposed coal mines 2023, by country
Methane emissions from proposed coal mines worldwide as of April 2023, by country (in million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent)
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Projected coal capacity change in the U.S. 2022-2029, by state
Projected coal capacity change in the U.S. 2022-2029, by state
Projected coal capacity decline in selected states in the United States from 2022 to 2029
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Basic Statistic
Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in China 2020-2050, by scenario
Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in China 2020-2050, by scenario
Coal-fired capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in China from 2020 to 2050, by scenario (in gigawatts)
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Coal capacity carbon neutral pathway in non-OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
Coal capacity carbon neutral pathway in non-OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
Coal-fired capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in non-OECD countries from 2010 to 2050, by scenario (in gigawatts)
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Basic Statistic
Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
Coal capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in OECD countries 2010-2050, by scenario
Coal-fired capacity pathway to carbon neutrality in OECD countries from 2010 to 2050, by scenario (in gigawatts)
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