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Mapped: The World’s Biggest Energy Sources by Country
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Key Takeaways
- Oil is the most common dominant energy source globally, leading in 39 of the countries covered in the dataset.
- Coal remains the primary energy source in several of Asia’s largest economies, including China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
- Biomass is still the biggest energy source across much of Africa, where fuels like firewood and charcoal remain widely used for cooking and heating.
Despite rapid growth in renewables, much of the world still relies on a small group of traditional energy sources. In many countries, oil, coal, or natural gas continues to supply the largest share of energy used across transportation, industry, and electricity generation.
This map shows the largest primary energy source in 112 countries using data from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Primary energy refers to energy in its raw form before it is converted into electricity or refined fuels.
The global picture highlights how different regions depend on different fuels. Oil dominates in many economies, coal still powers several of Asia’s largest countries, and traditional biomass remains central to energy use across parts of Africa.
Oil Leads in the Largest Number of Countries
Oil is the most common primary energy source globally, with 39 of the countries in the dataset relying on it more than any other fuel. It dominates across much of Europe, the Middle East, and large parts of Asia-Pacific.
In many economies, petroleum products remain essential for transportation and heavy industry. Even countries that produce natural gas, coal, or hydropower domestically often still rely on oil for a significant share of their overall energy supply.
| Country | Largest source of energy |
|---|---|
| Albania | Oil |
| Algeria | Natural Gas |
| Angola | Biomass |
| Argentina | Natural Gas |
| Armenia | Natural Gas |
| Australia | Oil |
| Austria | Oil |
| Azerbaijan | Natural Gas |
| Bangladesh | Natural Gas |
| Belarus | Natural Gas |
| Belgium | Oil |
| Benin | Biomass |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Coal |
| Botswana | Coal |
| Brazil | Oil |
| Bulgaria | Oil |
| Burkina Faso | Biomass |
| Cameroon | Biomass |
| Canada | Natural Gas |
| Chad | Biomass |
| Chile | Oil |
| China | Coal |
| China Hong Kong SAR | Natural Gas |
| Colombia | Oil |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Biomass |
| Croatia | Oil |
| Cyprus | Oil |
| Czechia | Coal |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Biomass |
| Ecuador | Oil |
| Egypt | Natural Gas |
| Eritrea | Biomass |
| Estonia | Coal |
| Ethiopia | Biomass |
| Finland | Biomass |
| France | Nuclear |
| Gabon | Biomass |
| Georgia | Natural Gas |
| Germany | Oil |
| Ghana | Oil |
| Greece | Oil |
| Hungary | Oil |
| Iceland | Renewables/Geothermal |
| India | Coal |
| Indonesia | Coal |
| Iran | Natural Gas |
| Iraq | Oil |
| Israel | Natural Gas |
| Italy | Natural Gas |
| Japan | Oil |
| Kazakhstan | Coal |
| Kenya | Biomass |
| Kuwait | Natural Gas |
| Latvia | Biomass |
| Lithuania | Oil |
| Luxembourg | Oil |
| Madagascar | Biomass |
| Malaysia | Natural Gas |
| Malta | Natural Gas |
| Mexico | Natural Gas |
| Moldova | Natural Gas |
| Montenegro | Oil |
| Morocco | Oil |
| Mozambique | Biomass |
| Namibia | Oil |
| Netherlands | Oil |
| New Zealand | Oil |
| Niger | Biomass |
| North Macedonia | Oil |
| Norway | Hydro |
| Oman | Natural Gas |
| Pakistan | Biomass |
| Peru | Oil |
| Philippines | Coal |
| Poland | Oil |
| Portugal | Oil |
| Qatar | Natural Gas |
| Republic of the Congo | Biomass |
| Romania | Oil |
| Russian Federation | Natural Gas |
| Rwanda | Biomass |
| Saudi Arabia | Oil |
| Senegal | Oil |
| Serbia | Coal |
| Singapore | Oil |
| Slovakia | Nuclear |
| Slovenia | Oil |
| South Africa | Coal |
| South Korea | Oil |
| Spain | Oil |
| Sri Lanka | Biomass |
| Sudan | Biomass |
| Sweden | Nuclear |
| Switzerland | Oil |
| Taiwan | Coal |
| Tanzania | Biomass |
| Thailand | Oil |
| Togo | Biomass |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Natural Gas |
| Tunisia | Natural Gas |
| Türkiye | Oil |
| Turkmenistan | Natural Gas |
| Uganda | Biomass |
| Ukraine | Natural Gas |
| United Arab Emirates | Natural Gas |
| United Kingdom | Natural Gas |
| United States | Oil |
| Uzbekistan | Natural Gas |
| Venezuela | Natural Gas |
| Vietnam | Coal |
| Zambia | Biomass |
| Zimbabwe | Biomass |
Major economies such as the United States, Japan, and Germany still rely primarily on oil despite growing investments in renewables and electrification.
Following oil, natural gas is the next most common primary energy source globally, with 29 countries relying on it the most.
Coal Remains Key in Major Asian Economies
Coal continues to dominate the energy mix in several of the world’s largest emerging economies. China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam all rely on coal as their biggest primary energy source.
One reason is simple: availability. Many of these countries have large domestic coal reserves and long-established mining and power infrastructure built around the fuel.
At the same time, coal remains one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions, making these economies central to the future trajectory of global energy transitions.
Biomass Leads in Many African Countries
Across much of Africa, biomass remains the largest primary energy source. This includes fuels such as firewood, charcoal, and agricultural waste.
In many rural areas, these fuels are still widely used for everyday needs like cooking and heating, particularly where access to electricity or modern fuels remains limited.
Outside of Africa, only three other countries in the dataset rely primarily on biomass for energy: Finland, Latvia, and Pakistan.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
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