Thermal coal: Stocks
Why China's coal could run short long before America's
Why China's coal could run short long before America's What this tab covers How much is left and how much is held. For minerals and energy: reserves, current output, years of supply and recycling for the top five countries. For farm commodities: production, ending stocks and stocks-to-use for the top five producers (USDA, October 2026). It also covers inventories and stockpiles.Top five countries: reserves, output and years of supply
| Country | Reserves Mt proved reserves, all coal ranks (end-2020) | Current output Mt produced, all coal (2024) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 248,941 | 465 | 536 | n/a |
| Russia | 162,166 | 427 | 380 | n/a |
| Australia | 150,227 | 463 | 325 | n/a |
| China | 143,197 | 4,780 | 30 | n/a |
| India | 111,052 | 1,085 | 102 | n/a |
Recycling
Coal is burned, so it is not recycled; a large share of fly ash is reused in cement and bricks in many countries (indicative; rates vary widely by country). The relevant buffers are plant stockpiles: India's Central Electricity Authority sets minimum coal stocks at power plants in days of burn, and China holds state reserve stockpiles. World proved reserves were 1,074 billion tonnes at end-2020, about 116 years of 2024 output, so geology is not the constraint; climate policy and cost are (Energy Institute).
Proved coal reserves were 1,074 billion tonnes at end-2020, about 139 years of output (Energy Institute). The US holds 23%, Russia 15%, Australia 14%, China 13% and India 10%. Lifetimes differ widely: China's reserves equal just 37 years of its output, while the US figure exceeds 500. Coal is burned, so nothing is recycled, though fly ash goes into cement. Coal keeps well in stockpiles, and the coal stocks held at Chinese and Indian power plants are closely watched before summer and winter demand peaks.