U.S. Media: According to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), over the past four decades, global energy demand has undergone a historic geographical shift.
Key quantitative data show that China's energy consumption has surged from 19 quadrillion BTU in 1980 to 171 quadrillion BTU in 2024, with its share of global consumption rising from 7% to 28%—a fourfold increase—making China the world's largest energy consumer. This significant growth is closely linked to China's industrial structure optimization, robust industrial system development, rapid urbanization, and rising household incomes.
Currently, China's energy consumption exceeds the combined total of all developed economies except the United States (118 quadrillion BTU).
From a global perspective, energy demand in developed economies has stabilized. In contrast, emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) have become the core driver of global demand growth, increasing their total consumption from 105 quadrillion BTU (37% of global share) in 1980 to 394 quadrillion BTU (65% of global share) in 2024.
Even excluding China, the energy consumption of emerging markets (223 quadrillion BTU) has already surpassed the combined total of all developed economies, indicating that industrialization and urbanization in key regions such as Asia continue to demonstrate strong economic vitality.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868122765650944/
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