Slowdown in energy intensity improvement in 2018, decreasing by only 1.3%

Global energy intensity (total energy consumption per unit of GDP) declined by 1.3% in 2018, slightly below its historical trend (-1.6%/year on average between 2000 and 2017).
Energy intensity levels and trends differ widely across world regions, reflecting differences in economic structure and energy efficiency achievements.
China’s energy intensity improved by almost 40% between 2000 and 2018, and 2.7% in the last year, driven by energy efficiency policies focused on energy-intensive industries.
Over time, China has developed and applied energy intensity reduction targets in response to significantly high energy-intense industries, bringing with it a strong demand for energy efficiency services.
Energy intensity in the United States increased in 2018 (+0.6%) compared to a decreasing trend (-1.9%/year) over the years 1990-2017.
Energy efficiency improvements continued in the European Union, the region with the lowest energy intensity in the world, with a higher rate (-3.1% in 2018) compared to the annual rate of reduction -1.8%/year measured over the 2000-2017 period. Contributing to this result, however, were the weather conditions (mild winter)
The energy intensity in the CIS region has decreased continuously since 2000 (-2.7%/year) but remains the highest in the world (75% above the worldwide average).
The high energy intensity in the CIS, the Middle East, China and other Asian developing countries is explained by the dominance of energy-intensive industries, commodity exporting-based economies and low energy prices that do not encourage energy efficiency.