In 2025, five countries accounted for more than three-quarters of the world’s coal use. These nations were China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Japan, which together consumed 80% of global coal. The United States saw a 10% rise in coal use compared to the previous year, an increase of about 0.8 exajoules (EJ). Indonesia followed closely with a 9.11% increase, adding approximately 0.43 EJ to its coal consumption. Meanwhile, China remained the world’s largest coal user, consuming 56% of global coal, though its use had plateaued, and coal imports had dropped by 10%. Coal is a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, particularly when burned to generate electricity. Each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity from coal produces about 1 kg of CO2, which is nearly twice the emissions from natural gas and about 100 times that of nuclear or wind power. Even though coal provides only about a third of the world’s electricity, it is responsible for over 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, highlighting its significant environmental impact. The United States reversed a recent decline in coal use, which had dropped by 3.4% in 2024 compared to 2023. This increase was driven by a severe winter that raised demand and prices for natural gas, making coal a more cost-effective energy source for electricity generation. Indonesia, now the world’s top coal exporter, produced twice as much coal as it consumed in 2025, supplying a large share of China’s coal needs. Meanwhile, Europe has continued to reduce its reliance on coal, cutting coal imports by more than half between 2015 and 2025. European coal use decreased by 3.1% in 2025 compared to 2024, though the region still relies on imports for 41% of its coal needs, primarily from Russia. The rest of the world saw a small decline in coal use, about 0.94%, indicating that global demand for coal has largely stabilized. According to Nick Wayth of the Energy Institute, "We observe an encouraging shift away from fossil fuels in electricity production, but global emissions continue to rise, and energy security concerns are growing." These insights come from an infographic published by Visual Capitalist on August 11, 2026, following the release of the 2026 World Energy Statistical Review by the Energy Institute.