Which are the Largest Coal-Producing Countries in the World?

The world is largely dependent on coal for industrialisation and large-scale manufacturing processes like cement or steel production. However, recent initiatives to decarbonise the world and growing climate concerns have moderated the stature of coal. Despite this, coal remains to be the biggest source of power generation in the world.

Coal accounted for 38% of the overall market share according to the data published by the International Energy Agency in 2019.And this number is rising year-on-year. Global coal consumption in 2022 has been itsan all-time high.It increased by 3.3% to 8.3 billion tonnes during this period. This is primarily because coal is abundantly available and also relatively cheaper than gas in many countries.

The demand for coal increased by 4.6% in 2022 in China alone. This is its all-time high. India also performed extremely well in the past year in the field of coal production. It recorded a growth of 6.9%. The coal demand increased by more than 8%. The demand in the European Union also increased by 0.9% in 2022. Indonesia’s demand for coal soared over 36% during the past year. This made Indonesia the 5^th largest coal consumer in the world after China, India, the United States and Russia.

Coming to global coal production, China dominates the market. Coal output reached over 2.3 metric tonnes during the first half of 2023 and is projected to increase steadily. The government is striving towards carbon neutrality by 2060. However, the transition will not be fast-paced and annual coal production levels are likely to remain consistent.

India ranks second in the list, recording its highest-ever coal production in the first quarter of financial year 2023-24. The country has achieved a dramatic milestone of producing 223.36 MT coal during this period which is a remarkable growth of 8.55% compared to last year. Coal India is the largest coal mining company in the world, supported by exporters and suppliers such as Agarwal Coal. Leading personalities like Vinod Agarwal play an integral role in shaping India’s success in the global coal market share.

Following India, the United States, Indonesia and Australia are the leading coal-producing nations in the world. Together, they are continuously meeting the global energy crunch through large-scale coal production and exports.