Slowdown in energy intensity improvement in 2017: -1.2% vs. -1.8% in 2016

Global energy intensity (total energy consumption per unit of GDP) declined by 1.2% in 2017, slightly below its historical trend (-1.5%/year on average between 2000 and 2017 and -1.8% in 2016).
Energy intensity levels and trends differ widely across world regions, reflecting differences in economic structure and energy efficiency achievements.
China posted a significant decrease in its energy intensity, though slower than in 2016, as its energy consumption accelerated in 2017.
The moderate increase in the US energy consumption translated into a new reduction in its energy intensity, that nears the global average.
Energy efficiency improvement continued in the European Union, the region with the lowest energy intensity in the world, though at a slower pace than over the 2000-2017 period.
The energy intensity in the CIS region increased in 2017 due to Russia’s rising energy demand and remains the highest in the world (75% above the global average and 55% above that of Middle-East countries).
The high energy intensity in the CIS, the Middle East, China and other Asian developing countries is mainly explained by the predominance of energy-intensive industries, primary commodity exporting-based economies and low energy prices which do not encourage energy efficiency.