Energy
Charting the Flows of Energy Consumption by Source and Country (1969-2018)
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Charting Energy Consumption by Source and Country
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Over the last 50 years, the world has seen a colossal increase in energy consumptionโand with the ongoing transition to renewable energy, itโs interesting to look at how these sources of energy have been evolving over time.
While some countries continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas, others have integrated alternative energy sources into their mix.
This visualization comes to us from Brian Moore and it charts the evolution of energy consumption in the 64 countries that have data available for all of the last 50 years.
Tera-What? The Most Prominent Sources of Energy (2009-2018)
First, letโs take a look at which sources have produced the most energy over the last decade of data. Energy consumption is measured in terawatt-hours (TWh)โa unit of energy equal to outputting one trillion watts for an hour.
Energy Source | % of Total Energy Consumption (2009-2018) | Sum of Total Energy (2009-2018) (TWh) |
---|---|---|
Oil | 34.3% | 509,800 |
Coal | 29.2% | 434,300 |
Gas | 22.8% | 339,300 |
Hydropower | 6.7% | 99,200 |
Nuclear | 4.6% | 68,800 |
Wind | 1.3% | 18,700 |
Geothermal/Biomass/Other | 0.9% | 12,700 |
Solar | 0.4% | 5,700 |
Total | 100.0% | 1,389,300 TWh |
Looking at this data, it’s clear that fossil fuels have been used much more than alternative sources. A deeper dive into the topic helps explain why.
Fossil Fuels: What the Data Shows
As the predominant source of energy, fossil fuels collectively accounted for a massive 86.2% of total energy consumption over 2009-2018, or roughly 1.2 million TWh. If youโre wondering, thatโs enough to power the equivalent of 109 billion U.S. homes with electricity for a year.
Among fossil fuel sources, oil emerges as the clear leader, responsible for 34.3% or 509,800 TWh of energy consumption over 2009-2018. Apart from being the primary fuel for transportation throughout history, oil remains relatively affordableโmaking it an easy choice for producers and consumers alike.
Closely following oil is coal, which countries rely on for its abundance, low costs, and low infrastructure requirements. Over the last decade of data, 29.2% of total energy came from coal, amounting to a substantial 434,300 TWh.
As a cleaner alternative to coal, natural gas has increased in popularity. Gas accounted for 22.8% or 339,300 TWh of energy consumed between 2009-2018, mainly attributed to its ample supply and affordability.
What About Renewables?
Only 13.8% of energy consumption over 2009-2018 came from renewable or alternative sources of energy, and hydropower accounts for nearly half of it. Why has the use of environmentally-friendly energy sources been so low?
Setting up alternative power plantsโespecially wind, solar, and nuclearโrequires significant capital investment, while facing competition from cheaper and more convenient fossil fuels. The barriers to adopting renewable energy have been weakening, but still remain quite high for low-income countries.
Wind and solar energy were responsible for a mere 1.7% of energy consumption. Compared to fossil fuels like oil and coal, this percentage seems even more minuscule than it does on its ownโmainly attributable to the high costs traditionally associated with wind and solar energy.
The Top 10 Countries Relying on Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels have been the predominant source of energy over the years. After all, 43 of these 64 countries sourced more than 80% of their energy from fossil fuels over 2009-2018.
Here are the ones that come out on top:
Country | % of Energy Consumed From Fossil Fuels (2009-2018) | Most Used Fossil Fuel (2009-2018) |
---|---|---|
Oman ๐ด๐ฒ | 100% | Gas |
Saudi Arabia ๐ธ๐ฆ | 100% | Oil |
Trinidad and Tobago ๐น๐น | 100% | Gas |
Kuwait ๐ฐ๐ผ | 100% | Oil |
Qatar ๐ถ๐ฆ | 99.9% | Gas |
United Arab Emirates ๐ฆ๐ช | 99.9% | Gas |
Hong Kong ๐ญ๐ฐ | 99.9% | Oil |
Algeria ๐ฉ๐ฟ | 98.8% | Gas |
Singapore ๐ธ๐ฌ | 98.8% | Oil |
Israel ๐ฎ๐ฑ | 98.1% | Oil |
Although it is startling to see that several countries were 100% reliant on fossil fuels, it comes as no surprise that these are countries with abundant reserves of oil or natural gas. Not only are fossil fuels central to certain economies in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA), but they also remain highly affordable for consumers in these places.
On a broader scale, developing and low-income countries are heavily dependent on fossil fuels such as coal for access to cheap electricity and ease of installation.
The Top 10 Countries Using Alternative Energy Sources
The transition to alternative energy sources has been welcomed by many countries, but only a few have prioritized its adoption in the energy mix. Hereโs a look at the top 10:
Country | % of Energy From Alternative Sources (2009-2018) | Most Used Alternative Energy Source (2009-2018) |
---|---|---|
Iceland ๐ฎ๐ธ | 81.6% | Hydropower |
Norway ๐ณ๐ด | 67.5% | Hydropower |
Sweden ๐ธ๐ช | 65.3% | Hydropower |
Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ | 50.5% | Hydropower |
France ๐ซ๐ท | 47.0% | Nuclear |
Finland ๐ซ๐ฎ | 39.5% | Nuclear |
New Zealand ๐ณ๐ฟ | 37.2% | Hydropower |
Brazil ๐ง๐ท | 37.2% | Hydropower |
Canada ๐จ๐ฆ | 34.8% | Hydropower |
Austria ๐ฆ๐น | 31.7% | Hydropower |
Iceland is the only country to have sourced over 80% of its energy from alternative sources over 2009-2018. In general, developed European countries are leading the chargeโwith Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and France making the top five.
The dominance of hydropower is notable, and so is the lack of wind and solar energy sources. Denmark had the highest percentage of wind energy in its mix, with 14.5%, whereas Italy had the highest percentage of solar, with just 2.4%.
It should be kept in mind that this percentage does not account for population differences. For example, although Italy boasted the highest percentage of solar in its energy mix with 2.4%, China consumed the most amount of energy from solar sourcesโdespite it accounting for only 0.3% of total Chinese energy consumption.
Nevertheless, the costs of solar and wind energy have been falling continuously, and the potential for growth in the renewable energy sector is higher than ever.
The Transition to Renewables: Are We On Track?
Since the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels have been the primary source of energy worldwide. More recently, the use of renewable energy sources has increased, but not substantially enough.
This predominant reliance on fossil fuels is not doing the transition to renewable energy any favors, but it shines a light on the massive untapped potential for alternative energies, especially in the developing world.
With the prices of renewable energy at record lows and increasing investment flows, the next decade will be a defining one for the global transition to clean energy.
Correction: A modified version of Brian Moore’s visualization was previous published here. We’ve since updated it to the original design.
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Energy
Who’s Still Buying Fossil Fuels From Russia?
Here are the top importers of Russian fossil fuels since the start of the war.

The Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Since the War
This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week.
Despite looming sanctions and import bans, Russia exported $97.7 billion worth of fossil fuels in the first 100 days since its invasion of Ukraine, at an average of $977 million per day.
So, which fossil fuels are being exported by Russia, and who is importing these fuels?
The above infographic tracks the biggest importers of Russiaโs fossil fuel exports during the first 100 days of the war based on data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
In Demand: Russiaโs Black Gold
The global energy market has seen several cyclical shocks over the last few years.
The gradual decline in upstream oil and gas investment followed by pandemic-induced production cuts led to a drop in supply, while people consumed more energy as economies reopened and winters got colder. Consequently, fossil fuel demand was rising even before Russiaโs invasion of Ukraine, which exacerbated the market shock.
Russia is the third-largest producer and second-largest exporter of crude oil. In the 100 days since the invasion, oil was by far Russiaโs most valuable fossil fuel export, accounting for $48 billion or roughly half of the total export revenue.
Fossil fuel | Revenue from exports (Feb 24 - June 4) | % of total Russian fossil fuel export revenue |
---|---|---|
Crude oil | $48.3B | 49.4% |
Pipeline gas | $25.2B | 25.8% |
Oil products | $13.6B | 13.9% |
Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) | $5.4B | 5.5% |
Coal | $5.0B | 5.1% |
Total | $97.7B | 100% |
While Russian crude oil is shipped on tankers, a network of pipelines transports Russian gas to Europe. In fact, Russia accounts for 41% of all natural gas imports to the EU, and some countries are almost exclusively dependent on Russian gas. Of the $25 billion exported in pipeline gas, 85% went to the EU.
The Top Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels
The EU bloc accounted for 61% of Russiaโs fossil fuel export revenue during the 100-day period.
Germany, Italy, and the Netherlandsโmembers of both the EU and NATOโwere among the largest importers, with only China surpassing them.
Country | Value of fossil fuel imports from Russia (Feb 24 - Jun 4) | % of Russian fossil fuel export revenue |
---|---|---|
๐จ๐ณ China | $13.2B | 13.5% |
๐ฉ๐ช Germany | $12.7B | 12.9% |
๐ฎ๐น Italy | $8.2B | 8.4% |
๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands | $8.2B | 8.4% |
๐น๐ท Turkey | $7.0B | 7.2% |
๐ต๐ฑ Poland | $4.6B | 4.7% |
๐ซ๐ท France | $4.5B | 4.6% |
๐ฎ๐ณ India | $3.6B | 3.7% |
๐ Other | $35.7B | 36.5% |
Total | $97.7B | 100% |
China overtook Germany as the largest importer, importing nearly 2 million barrels of discounted Russian oil per day in Mayโup 55% relative to a year ago. Similarly, Russia surpassed Saudi Arabia as China’s largest oil supplier.
The biggest increase in imports came from India, buying 18% of all Russian oil exports during the 100-day period. A significant amount of the oil that goes to India is re-exported as refined products to the U.S. and Europe, which are trying to become independent of Russian imports.
Reducing Reliance on Russia
In response to the invasion of Ukraine, several countries have taken strict action against Russia through sanctions on exports, including fossil fuels.ย
The U.S. and Sweden have banned Russian fossil fuel imports entirely, with monthly import volumes down 100% and 99% in May relative to when the invasion began, respectively.
On a global scale, monthly fossil fuel import volumes from Russia were down 15% in May, an indication of the negative political sentiment surrounding the country.
Itโs also worth noting that several European countries, including some of the largest importers over the 100-day period, have cut back on Russian fossil fuels. Besides the EUโs collective decision to reduce dependence on Russia, some countries have also refused the countryโs ruble payment scheme, leading to a drop in imports.
The import curtailment is likely to continue. The EU recently adopted a sixth sanction package against Russia, placing a complete ban on all Russian seaborne crude oil products. The ban, which covers 90% of the EUโs oil imports from Russia, will likely realize its full impact after a six-to-eight month period that permits the execution of existing contracts.
While the EU is phasing out Russian oil, several European countries are heavily reliant on Russian gas. A full-fledged boycott on Russiaโs fossil fuels would also hurt the European economyโtherefore, the phase-out will likely be gradual, and subject to the changing geopolitical environment.
Oil and Gas
How Affordable is Gas in Latin America?
This graphic looks at gas affordability in Latin America, showing how much a liter of gas costs in 19 countries, relative to average incomes.

How Affordable is Gas in Latin America?
As gas prices have risen around the world, not each region and country is impacted equally.
Globally, the average price for a liter of gas was $1.44 USD on June 13, 2022.
But the actual price at the pump, and how affordable that price is for residents, varies greatly from country to country. This is especially true in Latin America, a region widely regarded as one of the worldโs most unequal regions in terms of its income and resource distribution.
Using monthly data from GlobalPetrolPrices.com as of May 2022, this graphic by Latinometrics compares gas affordability in different countries across Latin America.
Gas Affordability in 19 Different Latin American Countries
To measure gas affordability, Latinometrics took the price of a liter of gas in 19 different Latin American countries and territories, and divided those figures by each countryโs average daily income, using salary data from Statista.
Out of the 19 regions included in the dataset, Venezuela has the most affordable gas on the list. In Venezuela, a liter of gas is equivalent to roughly 1.3% of the countryโs average daily income.
Country | Gas price as of May 2022 (USD) | % of average daily income |
---|---|---|
๐ณ๐ฎ Nicaragua | $1.37 | 14.0% |
โ๐ฉ๐ดโ Dominican Republic | $1.41 | 12.6% |
๐ง๐ทโ Brazil | $1.43 | 12.5% |
๐ต๐พโ Paraguay | $1.39 | 12.2% |
๐ต๐ช Peru | $1.53 | 10.2% |
๐บ๐พ Uruguay | $1.92 | 9.8% |
๐ธ๐ปโ El Salvador | $1.14 | 9.2% |
โโ๐ญ๐ณโ Honduras | $1.33 | 8.6% |
๐ฒ๐ฝโ Mexico | $1.17 | 7.8% |
๐ฌ๐นโ Guatemala | $1.44 | 7.7% |
๐ฆ๐ท Argentina | $1.06 | 6.7% |
โ๐จ๐ฑโ Chile | $1.37 | 6.6% |
๐จ๐ทโ Costa Rica | $1.42 | 5.9% |
๐จ๐ด Colombia | $0.58 | 5.7% |
โ๐ต๐ฆ โPanama | $1.27 | 5.0% |
๐ช๐จ Ecuador | $0.67 | 4.1% |
๐ง๐ด Bolivia | $0.54 | 3.2% |
๐ต๐ทโ Puerto Rico | $1.35 | 2.2% |
๐ป๐ชโ Venezuela | $0.02 | 1.3% |
This isn’t too surprising, as Venezuela is home to the largest share of proven oil reserves in the world. However, itโs worth noting that international sanctions against Venezuelan oil, largely because of political corruption, have hampered the once prosperous sector in the country.
On the other end of the spectrum, Nicaragua has the least affordable gas on the list, with one liter of gas costing 14% of the average daily income in the country.
Historically, the Nicaraguan government has not regulated gas prices in the country, but in light of the current global energy crisis triggered in large part by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the government has stepped in to help control the situation.
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues with no end in sight, itโll be interesting to see where prices are at in the next few months.
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