Regan Brown
Fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, have been the primary source of energy worldwide since the Industrial Revolution. However, burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, making it the largest driver of global climate change, and causing local air pollution linked to millions of premature deaths annually. In 2023, fossil fuels accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production and 60% of electricity generation. Globally, fossil fuels make up around four-fifths of primary energy consumption, with the largest consumers using more than ten times the amount of fossil fuels as the smallest consumers. As low-carbon energy sources become more accessible, countries must transition away from fossil fuels to mitigate their environmental, social, and economic costs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of global primary energy from fossil fuels | 80% |
| Percentage of U.S. energy from fossil fuels in 2016 | 78% |
| U.S. fossil fuel spending between 2010 and 2030 | $23 trillion |
| U.S. spending on coal, oil and natural gas | $700 billion to $1 trillion per year |
| Percentage of federal subsidies for fossil fuels in 2016 | 7% |
| Percentage of federal subsidies for non-fossil fuels in 2016 | 93% |
| U.S. primary energy consumption in 2023 | 94 quadrillion Btu |
| U.S. primary energy production in 2023 | 102.83 quadrillion Btu |
| U.S. primary energy consumption in 2023 | 93.59 quadrillion Btu |
| Percentage of U.S. primary energy production from fossil fuels in 2023 | 84% |
| U.S. electricity generated from fossil fuels in 2023 | 60% |
| Global fossil fuel consumption per person | Varies significantly by country |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuel consumption by country
Fossil fuels, including oil, coal, and natural gas, remain the primary energy source worldwide, accounting for over 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. While renewable energy is experiencing rapid growth, fossil fuels still dominate the global energy mix, with gas, oil, and coal accounting for 81-82% in 2022 and 2023. Here's an overview of fossil fuel consumption by country:
United States
The United States is one of the top consumers of fossil fuels, with oil being its primary energy source. In 2022, the US consumed over 19.1 million barrels of oil per day and approximately 32.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This makes the US the largest oil consumer in the world.
China
China is a significant contributor to fossil fuel consumption, especially when it comes to coal. In 2023, China consumed 140 exajoules of fossil fuels, with coal consumption accounting for 56% of global consumption, setting a new record. China, along with the US, is responsible for almost half (47%) of global fossil fuel consumption.
India
India is the third-largest consumer of fossil fuels globally, with its coal consumption surpassing the combined total of Europe and North America in 2023.
Russia
Russia is a prominent player in the oil market, producing around 11.28% of the world's oil in 2021. In the same year, it consumed 3.67 million barrels of oil daily, accounting for 4% of worldwide consumption. Russia is also a major consumer of natural gas, with a consumption of 408 billion cubic meters in 2022.
Japan
Despite its relatively small territory, Japan ranks fifth in fossil fuel consumption globally. In 2022, Japan consumed over 151 million metric tons of oil and imported 180.3 million tons of coal.
South Korea
Oil is the primary energy source in South Korea, which imported 960 million barrels of crude oil in 2021. The country also imported around 126 million tons of coal in the same year and was the third-largest LNG importer globally.
Canada
Canada heavily relies on fossil fuels, especially oil, to power its transportation and industrial sectors. In 2022, Canada consumed upwards of 98 million metric tons of oil. The country also consumes coal and gas, with usage recorded at 390 petajoules and 101 billion cubic meters, respectively.
It's worth noting that some countries, such as Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Singapore, Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, have high per capita fossil fuel consumption rates, with Equatorial Guinea leading at 18 metric tons per person per year.
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Fossil fuel consumption over time
Fossil fuel consumption has changed significantly over the past few centuries, in terms of both what and how much we burn. The burning of fossil fuels for energy began around the Industrial Revolution.
In 2023, fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production. In the same year, total US primary energy consumption was about 94 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu). Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, coal, and other gases—accounted for about 60% of the 4.18 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity generated at utility-scale electricity generation facilities in the US.
In 2016, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) supplied 78% of the energy produced in the United States, compared to 22% for non-fossil fuels. In contrast, federal subsidies for renewable and nuclear energy totalled $7.047 billion in 2016, while those for fossil fuels totalled $489 million.
The largest consumers of fossil fuels use more than ten times the amount of fossil energy than the smallest consumers. Fossil fuel consumption per person varies widely from country to country and is often a strong reflection of population size rather than actual fossil fuel consumption per person.
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Fossil fuel reserves
It is important to distinguish between "proven reserves" and "resources" when discussing fossil fuel reserves. Proven reserves refer to fossil fuels that can be recovered in the future with reasonable certainty under existing economic and technological conditions. In other words, we are aware of their existence, and it would be technologically and economically feasible to extract them. However, reserves only represent a fraction of the total resources, as new quantities of fossil fuels, particularly coal, are continually being discovered and becoming technologically feasible to extract. Therefore, the amount of proven reserves can change over time, influenced not only by consumption but also by the unlocking of new resources.
The consumption of fossil fuels has changed significantly over the years, with a growing emphasis on oil and gas. While fossil fuels play a significant role in energy production, they also have negative impacts. The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2), making them the largest driver of global climate change. Additionally, they contribute to local air pollution, which has been linked to millions of premature deaths annually.
To address the environmental and health concerns associated with fossil fuels, a transition towards low-carbon energy sources is necessary. This involves reducing the share of fossil fuels in global primary energy consumption, which currently stands at around four-fifths, and increasing the adoption of renewable and nuclear energy alternatives. By 2050, it is estimated that nearly 60% of oil and fossil methane gas, and 90% of coal, must remain unextracted to adhere to the 1.5 °C carbon budget set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
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Fossil fuel spending
Fossil fuel subsidies are defined by the International Energy Agency as:
> "...any government action that lowers the cost of fossil fuel energy production, raises the price received by energy producers, or lowers the price paid by energy consumers."
These subsidies are intended to protect consumers by keeping prices low, but they have significant fiscal consequences, including higher taxes, higher borrowing, or lower spending. They also promote inefficient allocation of an economy's resources, hindering growth, and encourage pollution, contributing to climate change and premature deaths from local air pollution. Fossil fuel subsidies disproportionately affect communities that are the most vulnerable to the health and environmental impacts of fossil fuel combustion and extraction, namely minority and low-income populations that are more likely to live near pollutant-producing facilities.
According to the IMF, fossil fuels account for 85% of all global subsidies. In 2022, fossil fuel subsidies totalled $7 trillion, or 7.1% of global GDP, a $2 trillion increase since 2020 due to government support during the global spike in energy prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the economic recovery from the pandemic. This is more than governments spend annually on education (4.3% of global income) and about two-thirds of what they spend on healthcare (10.9%). Under a narrower definition, fossil fuel subsidies totalled around $1.5 trillion in 2022.
The vast majority of subsidies are implicit, as environmental costs are often not reflected in prices for fossil fuels, especially for coal and diesel. Consumers did not pay for over $5 trillion of environmental costs last year. This number would be almost double if damage to the climate was valued at levels found in a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature. These implicit subsidies are projected to grow as developing countries—which tend to have higher-polluting power plants, factories, and vehicles, along with dense populations living and working close to these pollution sources—increase their consumption of fossil fuels toward the levels of advanced economies.
Subsidies are expected to decline in the near term as energy price support policies are unwound and international prices fall, but then rise to $8.2 trillion by 2030 as the share of fuel consumption in emerging markets (where price gaps are generally larger) continues to climb. Removing explicit subsidies and imposing corrective taxes would lead to cutting global carbon dioxide emissions significantly, cleaner air, less lung and heart disease, and more fiscal space for governments. It is estimated that scrapping explicit and implicit fossil fuel subsidies would prevent 1.6 million premature deaths annually, raise government revenues by $4.4 trillion, and put emissions on track toward reaching global warming targets. It would also redistribute income as fuel subsidies benefit rich households more than poor ones.
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Fossil fuel subsidies
The total amount of fossil fuel subsidies depends on the definition used. Under a narrow definition, fossil fuel subsidies totalled around $1.5 trillion in 2022, while under a broader definition, they totalled around $7 trillion, or 7.1% of global GDP. This represents a $2 trillion increase since 2020 due to government support and surging energy prices. The subsidies are predominantly explicit subsidies, which are payments to make fossil fuels cheaper for producers or consumers. However, the share of explicit subsidies is expected to decrease to 8% by 2030, while implicit subsidies, which are undercharging for environmental costs and forgone consumption taxes, will increase.
While subsidies are intended to protect consumers, they often benefit higher-income households instead of targeting the poor. Removing subsidies may impact poor people through indirect price increases, but the overall benefits relative to their total income would be significant. Additionally, subsidies can cause hundreds of thousands of deaths from air pollution each year and make countries more vulnerable to variations in international energy prices.
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Frequently asked questions
Around four-fifths of global primary energy comes from fossil fuels, with coal, oil, and gas being the main sources.
Fossil fuels account for about 84% of total US primary energy production. In 2023, total US primary energy consumption was about 94 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu).
American consumers and businesses spend about $700 billion to $1 trillion each year on fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are the leading source of air and water pollution, with the economic cost of air pollution in certain sectors estimated at $9 trillion between 1970 and 2000. They are also the leading contributor to global warming, which could result in economic damage from severe weather events and rising sea levels.
In fiscal year 2016, federal subsidies for non-fossil fuels (renewable energy and nuclear power) totalled $7.047 billion, while those for fossil fuels were $489 million.
