Coal and lignite production

In 2024, coal production grew again (+1.4%), especially in the ASEAN (+7%), despite a 11% drop in the United States.

The growth was spurred by the three largest coal producers, namely China (+1.5%), India (+5%) and Indonesia (+8%), which together accounted for nearly ¾ of global production. Their coal production increased at a faster rate than over the 2010-2019 period, due to a rising demand from the power sector in China and India and due to export markets and industry in Indonesia. However, the annual growth was slower than in 2022 and 2023 (substitution of coal imports for China’s domestic supply over lower international coal prices). Coal production also grew in Russia (+1%), in Australia (+3%), in South Africa (+1%), and in Türkiye (+17%).
On the contrary, it fell by 11% in the United States to adapt to the lower coal demand, by 10% in the EU, and 13% in Canada, over a reduced demand from the power sector (coal phase out policies).