Population and Energy Consumption
The population problem isn't just a matter of the number of people. People consume food, fresh water, wood, minerals, and energy as we go about our daily lives. And producing food, pumping groundwater, harvesting wood, mining minerals, and burning fuel all deplete our resource base and produce pollution.
One critical indicator of environmental impact is to measure our energy consumption. When you click on one of the countries in the graph below, you'll see how that country compares to the United States in the size of its population, the amount of energy it consumes as a country, and the amount of energy consumed per person.
Why single out the U.S.A.?
Why are we focusing on the United States? Because Americans make up only 5% of the world's population and yet consume 20% of its energy! That's really extravagant! Imagine if you consumed four times more gasoline as your neighbors... or four times more food... or produced four times more garbage. Your neighbors wouldn't be very happy! Yet, that's what we're doing.
In fact, on average, every time an American spends a dollar, the energy equivalent of a cup of oil is used to produce what that dollar buys! That's why we've singled out the United States for comparison here ... its energy consumption is truly extraordinary!
Population and Energy Consumption by Country
| Country: click to compare to USA |
 Population Energy consumption Hover over bar for actual data |
Percent of global total |
|
| China | |
| India | |
| USA | |
| Indonesia | |
| Brazil | |
| Pakistan | |
| Bangladesh | |
| Russian Federation | |
| Japan | |
| Mexico | |
| Philippines | |
| Germany | |
| Egypt | |
| Turkey | |
| Iran | |
| France | |
| Thailand | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Italy | |
| South Africa | |
Percent of global total |
Population data source: Population Reference Bureau; 2007 World Population Data Sheet.
Energy data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration 2007.
What's the Point?
The purpose of this exercise isn't to blame people in rich countries for wasting energy, because for the most part they don't know they're doing it. It's not to say each person in a poor country is as poor as every other person in that country, because there are rich and poor people in every country. And it's not to imply that all we need to do is consume less energy and everything will be OK. The point is that the population problem isn't just something "over there" in "those poor countries," where they may be having more children. From a consumption perspective, the developed countries have a bigger population growth problem than the developing countries!
Next time you hear about a woman in India who has 7 children, remember that she'd have to have more than 10 children to match the impact of an American woman with just one child!
Energy Consumption: China
| U.S.A. | Ratio | China | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 1:1 | 9,326,410 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 1:4 | 1,322 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 4:3 | 13,380 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 6:1 | 10.2 |
Energy Consumption: India
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to India
| U.S.A. | Ratio | India | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 3:1 | 2,973,190 |
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| Population: (2007 estimate) |
302 million | 1:4 | 1,132 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 5:1 | 3,280 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 20:1 | 2.9 |
Energy Consumption: Bangladesh
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Bangladesh
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Bangladesh | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 68:1 | 133,910 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 2:1 | 149 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 127:1 | 136 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 57:1 | 1 |
Energy Consumption: Brazil
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Brazil
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Brazil | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 1:1 | 8,456,510 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 3:2 | 189 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 10:1 | 1,750 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 6:1 | 9.3 |
Energy Consumption: Egypt
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Egypt
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Egypt | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 9:1 | 995,450 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 4:1 | 73 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 37:1 | 466 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 9:1 | 6.4 |
Energy Consumption: France
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to France
| U.S.A. | Ratio | France | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 17:1 | 545,630 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 5:1 | 62 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 9:1 | 1,920 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 2:1 | 31 |
Energy Consumption: Germany
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Germany
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Germany | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 26:1 | 349,520 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 4:1 | 82 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 7:1 | 2,480 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 2:1 | 30.2 |
Energy Consumption: Indonesia
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Indonesia
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Indonesia | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 5:1 | 1,826,440 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 3:2 | 232 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 21:1 | 839 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 16:1 | 3.6 |
Energy Consumption: Iran
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Iran
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Iran | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 6:1 | 1,636,000 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 4:1 | 71 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 13:1 | 1,320 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 3:1 | 18.6 |
Energy Consumption: Italy
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Italy
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Italy | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 31:1 | 294,020 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 5:1 | 59 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 13:1 | 1,370 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 2:1 | 23.2 |
Energy Consumption: Japan
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Japan
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Japan | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 24:1 | 374,744 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 2:1 | 128 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 4:1 | 3,860 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 2:1 | 30.2 |
Energy Consumption: Mexico
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Mexico
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Mexico | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 5:1 | 1,923,040 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 3:1 | 107 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 13:1 | 1,300 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 5:1 | 12.1 |
Energy Consumption: Pakistan
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Pakistan
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Pakistan | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 12:1 | 778,720 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 2:1 | 169 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 40:1 | 428 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 23:1 | 2.5 |
Energy Consumption: Philippines
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to the Philippines
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Philippines | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 31:1 | 298,170 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 3:1 | 89 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 77:1 | 223 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 23:1 | 2.5 |
Energy Consumption: Russian Federation
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to the Russian Federation
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Russian Federation | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 1:2 | 16,995,800 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 2:1 | 142 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 3:1 | 5,220 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 2:1 | 36.8 |
Energy Consumption: South Africa
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to South Africa
| U.S.A. | Ratio | South Africa | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 8:1 | 1,219,910 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 6:1 | 48 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 19:1 | 927 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 3:1 | 19.3 |
Energy Consumption: Thailand
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Thailand
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Thailand | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 18:1 | 511,770 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 5:1 | 66 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 26:1 | 665 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 6:1 | 10 |
Energy Consumption: Turkey
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to Turkey
| U.S.A. | Ratio | Turkey | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 12:1 | 770,760 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 4:1 | 74 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 25:1 | 743 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 6:1 | 10 |
Energy Consumption: United Kingdom
Energy Consumption: U.S.A. Compared to the United Kingdom
| U.S.A. | Ratio | United Kingdom | |
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| Land Area: (km2) |
9,158,960 | 38:1 | 241,590 |
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| Population: (2007) |
302 million | 5:1 | 61 million |
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| Energy Consumption: (million barrels of oil equivalent) |
17,260 | 10:1 | 1,620 |
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| Energy Per Capita: (barrels of oil equivalent per person) |
57.2 | 2:1 | 26.6 |