How much energy does a person use in a year?

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A coal-fired power plant in Westport, Kentucky on the Ohio River. Image Copyright © Michael Collier. http://www.earthscienceworld.org/images

In 2017, total energy use per person (“per capita consumption”) in the United States was 300 million British thermal units (Btu).1,2 32% of this was from industrial use, 29% from transportation, 20% from residential use, and 18% from commercial use.1 Per-person energy use in the United States decreased by 10.7% from 2007 to 2017.3

For comparison, here is the 2015 per-person energy use (in million Btu) for a selection of other countries:4

Canada 401
South Korea 225
Russia 207
France 154
Japan 146
United Kingdom 124
South Africa 88
China 86
Chile 75
Turkey 73
Uzbekistan 67
Mexico 60
India 19
Philippines 15
Sudan 7.7
World Average 755,6

References

1 Energy Consumption by Sector U.S. Energy Information Administration
2 National Population Totals and Components of Change: 2010-2017 U.S. Census Bureau
3 Historical annual U.S. Energy Consumption per Capita, 1949-2011 U.S. Energy Information Administration
4 Total Primary Energy Consumption (World + Individual Countries) and Populations  U.S. Energy Information Administration
5 Total Primary Energy Consumption by year (World + Individual Countries) U.S. Energy Information Administration
6 International Data Base U.S. Census Bureau

Learn More

  • How Much Do You Consume? (Interactive Visualization), Department of Energy
    Interactive infographic on personal energy consumption by state
  • World Energy Outlook 2017 (Report), International Energy Agency
    Annual report with key information about energy around the world each year.