Thermal coal: Across the Earth
Why America holds most reserves but Asia burns most coal
What this tab covers How the resource varies with latitude, climate, terrain and geology: the richest and poorest regions and the leading countries.Coal is widespread, but reserves are concentrated in five countries, and production and use are dominated by Asia, above all China.
Coal forms in sedimentary basins that once held large swamps, in both hemispheres and from the tropics to the Arctic. Hard coal is mostly older and deeper. Lignite and peat are younger and shallower, and peat is still forming in cool, wet northern lands and tropical swamps.
Rich and poor regions
| Region | Resource | Level |
|---|---|---|
| United States (reserves) | 248.9 Gt, 23.2% of world (end-2020)3 | high |
| Russia (reserves) | 162.2 Gt, 15.1%3 | high |
| Australia (reserves) | 150.2 Gt, 14.0%3 | high |
| China (reserves) | 143.2 Gt, 13.3%3 | high |
| India (reserves) | 111.1 Gt, 10.3%3 | medium |
| Rest of the world combined (reserves) | about 258.5 Gt, 24% (calculated)3 | low |
Top countries by coal production (all ranks) 2024 3
| Country | million tonnes |
|---|---|
| China | 4,403 |
| India | 1,083 |
| Indonesia | 836 |
| Australia | 468 |
| United States | 461 |
Production and use do not follow reserves. China mined about half the world's coal in 2024 and burned 92.2 EJ of it, against 23.0 EJ in India and 7.9 EJ in the United States. The United States holds the largest reserves but now produces only about 5% of world coal. Indonesia and Australia are the leading exporters of steam coal. Peat use for energy is now small and limited to a few northern countries with large peatlands.
Note that the IEA puts Chinese output at 4,666 Mt in 2024, higher than the figure in the table.
Sources
- Coal facts (world reserves from the Energy Institute Statistical Review, production from the IEA) Natural Resources Canada, 2026