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Energy production
Energy production is a function of the natural resources of a country and the economic incentives to exploit those resources. Countries will also take into consideration energy security and environmental protection when making decisions on how much and what type of energy to produce.
Definition
Production refers to the quantities of fuels extracted from the ground after the removal of inert matter or impurities (e.g. sulphur from natural gas). For non-combusted energy such as nuclear, hydro and solar, the primary energy equivalent is calculated using the physical energy content method.
Comparability
In general, data on energy production are of high quality. In some instances, information has been based on secondary sources or estimated by the IEA.
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Total energy production by product As a percentage of total energy production
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Long-term trends World energy production increased by 97% between 1971 and 2004, reaching 11 213 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe). The OECD, with a 34% share of the global production, was the main energy producing region in 2004. The United States accounted for 15% of world energy production, China for 14%, the Middle East region for 13% and the Russian Federation for 10%. Since 1971, the shares of the OECD, Middle East and Former USSR decreased, while Latin America and non-OECD Europe remained stable. On the other hand, energy production in China (as well as the rest of Asia) increased dramatically since 1971. The energy mix has changed significantly between 1971 and 2004. Nuclear energy, which experienced an annual average growth of 10% since 1971, increased its share of production from 0.5% to 6.4%. Renewable energy also experienced a high growth rate over the last 33 years, but its share was very low in 1971, making this growth less meaningful. The share of natural gas in total production increased from 16.0% in 1971 to 20.6% in 2004, causing the share of oil to fall from 44.9% to 35.3%. The share of coal production remained at around 25%. |
Sources
- IEA (2006), Energy Balances of OECD Countries, IEA, Paris.
- IEA (2006), Energy Balances of Non-OECD Countries, IEA, Paris.
Further information
Analytical publications
- NEA (2006), Forty Years of Uranium Resources, Production and Demand in Perspective: The Red Book Retrospective, NEA, Paris.
- IEA (2005), Resources to Reserves: Oil and Gas Technologies for the Energy Markets of the Future, IEA, Paris.
- IEA (2006), Energy Policies of IEA Countries, series, IEA, Paris.
Online databases
Websites
- International Energy Agency, www.iea.org.
| Texts | |
| • | Indicator web page |
| • | Indicator in PDF |
| Tables (xls) | |
| • | Total production of energy |
| Graphics | |
| • | Total energy production by region |
Total energy production by region
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