Slight recovery in energy consumption in 2016 (1% vs. 0.5% in 2015)

Although China, the world’s largest energy consumer since 2009, recorded a rebound in growth in 2016, its energy consumption development has seriously slowed over the past three years in comparison to the trend observed over the 2000-2013 period. Weak economic growth and a move to a less industrial-based economy combined with strong energy efficiency gains and the government’s willingness to decarbonize the economy, has reduced coal consumption, and explains recent developments.
Energy consumption was flat in the USA in 2016 because of the deep fall in coal use, offset by slight increase in oil and gas consumption.
India continued to support world energy consumption representing a quarter of the global rise in 2016.
Strong rising trends have been recorded in Turkey and in Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea.
Conversely, energy consumption has declined in Latin America, driven by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, while that of the European Union remained steady.