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Environment and energy ยท ranked by Fossil fuel electricity generation

Countries generating the most electricity from fossil fuels

50 ranked ยท updated 2026-11-02
Number oneChina6,175.28 TWh
Ranking by Fossil fuel electricity generation
#NameFossil fuel electricity generationChange
1
China
6,175.28 TWhnew
22,576.21 TWhnew
31,526.79 TWhnew
4767.16 TWhnew
5693.04 TWhnew
6444.82 TWhnew
7375.06 TWhnew
8373.22 TWhnew
9304.33 TWhnew
10264.38 TWhnew
Show positions 11โ€“50
11249.84 TWhnew
12213.73 TWhnew
13204.73 TWhnew
14200.79 TWhnew
15199.45 TWhnew
16175.76 TWhnew
17169.2 TWhnew
18159.56 TWhnew
19157.04 TWhnew
20150.21 TWhnew
21147.3 TWhnew
22135.59 TWhnew
23121.01 TWhnew
24118.67 TWhnew
25105.31 TWhnew
26104.01 TWhnew
27101.19 TWhnew
2895.33 TWhnew
2994.42 TWhnew
3090.42 TWhnew
3189.43 TWhnew
3287.95 TWhnew
3384.69 TWhnew
3473.01 TWhnew
3569.9 TWhnew
3668.2 TWhnew
3761.87 TWhnew
3856.85 TWhnew
3953.9 TWhnew
4050.44 TWhnew
4137.85 TWhnew
4237.05 TWhnew
4334.58 TWhnew
4433.84 TWhnew
4533 TWhnew
4631.03 TWhnew
4730.84 TWhnew
4829.76 TWhnew
4929.35 TWhnew
5029.31 TWhnew

History

How the top 10 has moved

Positions of today's top 10 across every published snapshot.

History appears once this ranking has at least two published snapshots.

About this ranking

Countries generating the most electricity from fossil fuels, explained

Countries generating the most electricity from fossil fuels is a live ranking of the top 50 entries in environment and energy by Fossil fuel electricity generation, built from public data published by Our World in Data. It was last refreshed on 2026-11-02. This is the first published snapshot; from the next refresh onwards the page will also show movers, new entries and a rank history chart.

China currently holds #1 with 6,175.28 TWh. United States is second with 2,576.21 TWh, which puts the leader 2.4 times ahead. India completes the top three with 1,526.79 TWh. Together the top three account for about 76% of the combined top-10 total, which gives a quick sense of how concentrated this ranking is.

How it is measured: The amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels, in terawatt-hours. Our World in Data chart "elec-fossil-nuclear-renewables" (column fossil_generation__twh_chart_elec_fossil_nuclear_renewables); most recent year per country within the last five years of data, regional aggregates excluded. Caveat: Years differ by country; the chart page documents the original source and its limitations. Data from Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0) and the sources it cites. The full top 50 is on this page, with positions 11 to 50 one click away, and each entry links to its own profile showing every ranking it appears in.

Use this page to check who is number one right now, compare any two entries head to head, or test yourself with the quiz, which asks you to name all ten in three minutes. Year-end archives are available for 2026, freezing the ranking as it stood at the close of each year. Top10Earth never estimates or edits a value: each number is fetched from its source, hashed, stored and ranked by software, then checked by a quality gate before it is published. If a refresh fails the gate, the previous snapshot stays live and the problem is reviewed by a person.

Frequently asked questions

Who is #1 in Countries generating the most electricity from fossil fuels?
China is #1 with 6,175.28 TWh, as of 2026-11-02. United States is #2.
How is Countries generating the most electricity from fossil fuels ranked?
By Fossil fuel electricity generation. The amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels, in terawatt-hours. Our World in Data chart "elec-fossil-nuclear-renewables" (column fossil_generation__twh_chart_elec_fossil_nuclear_renewables); most recent year per country within the last five years of data, regional aggregates excluded.
How often is this ranking updated?
It refreshes on a fixed schedule from Our World in Data. The latest snapshot was captured on 2026-11-02.
Where does the data come from?
Our World in Data. Data from Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0) and the sources it cites. The raw payload for every refresh is stored unchanged so any number can be traced back.