Total Primary Energy Supply

Total supply of primary energy

Over the past fifty years, world primary energy production has considerably increased, going from 2 billion toe (tonnes of oil equivalent) in 1955 to over 11 billion toe in 2005.

Production particularly increased in Eastern Asia, North America, and Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, primary energy production decreased between 1990 and 1995, followed by a period of stable production and then a slight increase. Elsewhere, such as in Central and South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania, total energy production is rising but accounts for a smaller portion of world energy production.

The indicator is expressed as a ratio of total energy production to population, and measures a country’s overall level of development. It also gives a picture of a country’s degree of urbanisation, since urban areas are generally supplied with more energy than rural areas, where biomass combustion accounts for the majority of residential energy use. Over the next three decades, 95% of population increase will take place in urban areas.
Countries with a very high ratio of total energy production to population (over 10 toe) include the oil producers of the Middle East, Iceland, and Luxembourg, followed by Canada, the United States, Singapore, and the Nordic countries. Developing countries generally have a ratio of under 2 toe: Brazil (1.11), India (0.53), and Pakistan (0.49). The lowest ratios (under 0.45) are seen in Africa, Nepal, Yemen, and Myanmar (Burma).

Definition of the indicator

“Primary energies” include raw hydrocarbons, the wind, and nuclear fuel, which can not be used as is. They must first be converted into “secondary energy” (petrol or electricity, for example). Since energy is lost during energy conversion, statistics favour calculations of primary energies. Energy totals are expressed in tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), comparable to around 2.2 tonnes of dry wood or 11,628 kWh. It should be noted that these equivalencies are not unanimously accepted.

The indicator is a ratio of total primary energy supply (expressed in tonnes of oil equivalent or toe) per capita.

Source of figures: OECD