Energy Intensity in Selected Countries, 1970-2020

Source: International Energy Outlook 2000

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• China enjoyed particularly strong improvement in its energy intensity over the past two decades, attributable to the strong economic growth experienced in the country, falling from a high of 117.2 thousand Btu per dollar of GDP in 1976 to 39.6 thousand Btu per dollar in 1997. Between 1978 and 1995, gross domestic product increased by an average 10.0 percent per year in China, whereas energy use grew by 4.2 percent per year over this same time period.

• The United States has always maintained a much lower level of energy intensity than China. At 11.6 thousand Btu per dollar, the 1997 U.S. intensity is about one-third that in China. While China’s energy intensity is expected to continue to improve over the projection period, it remains about three times the level of energy intensity in the United States even in 2020.