In 2023, global coal consumption slowed down (+2.2%), rising rapidly in China and India but falling again in OECD countries.

The growth in global coal consumption slowed down to +2.2% in 2023 (from over 6% in 2022) but remained much faster than over the 2010-2019 period. In line with historical trends, coal consumption continued to rise in non-OECD countries, which accounted for 86% of the global coal demand. Economic growth, warmer temperatures raising electricity demand for cooling, and a lower hydropower generation contributed to raise coal demand in China (+6.9%), India (+9.9%) and Vietnam (+25%), with China and India jointly accounting for 71% of the global coal consumption. It remained stable in Russia.
On the contrary, coal consumption continued to fall in OECD countries, due to slow economic growth, reduced coal demand from industry, lower electricity demand, and the competition from alternative fuels in the power sector. Coal-to-gas switch and higher renewable production reduced US coal consumption by 18%. In the EU, Japan and South Korea, higher nuclear and renewable power generation contributed to cut coal consumption (-22% in the EU, -8.9% in Japan and -2.8% in Korea). It also declined in Australia (over higher renewable power generation) and in South Africa (due to persistent supply issues).