Ranked: The Countries Using the Most Energy Per Person

Ranked: The Countries Using the Most Energy Per Person

A country’s energy use per person is shaped by its climate, industrial base, transportation needs, and overall economic structure.

This graphic ranks the top 40 countries by total energy supply per person in 2025, using data from the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2026.

Total energy supply measures all the energy entering an economy, including fuel for industry, power generation, and transport, before conversion losses. It reflects economy-wide energy use rather than household consumption or an individual’s personal energy footprint.

Small, Energy-Hungry Economies Lead the World

Iceland leads the ranking at 745 GJ per person, nearly three times the U.S. level. Its electricity comes almost entirely from domestic hydropower and geothermal energy, while energy-intensive industries such as aluminum smelting account for a significant share of the country’s energy demand.

The table below shows the top 40 countries by energy supply per person in 2025:

Rank	Country	2025 Energy Supply per Person (GJ)
1	Iceland	744.9
2	Qatar	717.3
3	Singapore	627.8
4	United Arab Emirates	463.2
5	Kuwait	377.5
6	Trinidad & Tobago	358.2
7	Saudi Arabia	347.9
8	Oman	314.9
9	Canada	300.4
10	United States	270.2
11	South Korea	251.1
12	Russia	216.6
13	Australia	204.9
14	Turkmenistan	202.1
15	Norway	200.3
16	Finland	190.0
17	Belgium	187.3
18	Taiwan	184.4
19	Luxembourg	180.3
20	New Zealand	179.0
21	Netherlands	172.5
22	Kazakhstan	157.2
23	Sweden	155.3
24	Iran	143.7
25	Czechia	142.8
26	France	135.4
27	Malaysia	134.7
28	Estonia	133.9
29	Japan	133.9
30	Hong Kong	133.5
31	Belarus	125.8
32	Austria	120.4
33	Germany	119.5
34	Slovakia	118.3
35	Slovenia	117.1
36	China	114.5
37	Spain	108.5
38	Israel	108.5
39	Ireland	107.3
40	Bulgaria	103.7

Qatar (717 GJ) and Singapore (628 GJ) round out the top three. Both combine energy-intensive production and processing with small populations: Qatar liquefies and exports natural gas at enormous scale, while Singapore operates some of the world’s largest oil refining and petrochemical facilities.

The top eight show a clear pattern. Aside from Iceland and Singapore, the other six economies are major oil and gas producers with relatively small populations, including Kuwait (378 GJ), Trinidad & Tobago (358 GJ), Saudi Arabia (348 GJ), and Oman (315 GJ).

The regional makeup is also striking. Not a single African or South American country makes the top 40, which is composed entirely of countries in Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania.

Where Major Economies Rank in Energy Use per Person

Canada (300 GJ) is the first large economy on the list at #9, just ahead of the United States (270 GJ) at #10. Cold climates, long travel distances, and energy-intensive resource industries help keep North American figures high.

Even so, the U.S. total is far from static: Americans use less energy per person than they did 50 years ago. For perspective, the U.S. figure is still roughly 10 times India’s 27 GJ per person, leaving the world’s most populous country well outside the top 40.

China presents a different picture. At 115 GJ per person, the world’s largest coal consumer ranks above Spain (109 GJ), while the UK (90 GJ), Italy (94 GJ), and Switzerland (98 GJ) all fall below the top-40 cutoff of 104 GJ, set by Bulgaria.

Ultimately, this metric reflects economy-wide energy use rather than personal behavior. Refining hubs and fuel exporters such as Singapore and Qatar use substantial amounts of energy to produce goods and fuels consumed elsewhere, helping explain why small trading economies can rank above the world’s largest total energy consumers.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out this graphic on the countries leading in renewable energy consumption on Voronoi.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-countries-using-most-energy-per-person/