He Electric consumption It is a great thermometer for countries. The amount of energy we consume is an economic, but also social, climate indicator, of technological decisions and even lifestyle. The reason is that there is a wide range of factors that influence this consumption, and the following graph prepared by Visual Capitalist We can see what are the 15 countries with the highest GDP in the world which consume more electricity per capita.
The surprise is called … Canada.
Oh, Canada. The data comes from Ember and reflect the difference between the consumption of electricity per capita of the main world economies In 2024 and the one they had in 2000. A quarter of a century is more than enough to see a change in this regard, but what has not varied an apex are the two nations that lead the graph.
Canada occupies the first position with consumption in 2024 of 15,708 kWh per person in 2024. The figure is considerably less than the one that registered 24 years ago and that high consumption is driven by an industry (especially mining and Aluminum production) very demanding at the energy level and for the electricity necessary to withstand the long winters. The United States, with 12,741 kWh per person, is not behind and the reasons are very similar: industry and air conditioning (which is at an excessive temperature both in winter and in summer).
South Korea and China. Australia is another of the countries that traditionally exceeded 10,000 kWh per person, but these last 24 years have passed something curious: South Korea has glued a time comeback in this indicator. Here we enter that of electricity consumption as an economic thermometer, by relating the passage of the 6,200 kWh at 12,100 kWh due to an advance in advanced industrialization and manufacturing, especially in the segment of semiconductors and cars, as well as the growth of data centers.
In China we live a very similar phenomenon, with a consumption of about 1,100 kWh in 2000 and one of 7,100 kWh currently due to that same technological expansion with the Accelerated industrialization in steelaluminum, electronics, data centers, semiconductors and electric vehicles as main protagonists. In addition, even if it is practically half of the per capita consumption of Canada, we are talking about a population of 1,400 million people compared to about 40 million. To put it in percentage: 17% of the world population compared to 0.5%.
Logical. But the increase in consumption in these two countries is not only due to industrialization. Japan also has a strong industry and consumption has remained practically identical. There is another factor: The increase in middle classespecially in China. The increase of living standards, urbanization and electrification in homes has contributed considerably to this increase in consumption.
Migration to large cities has generated a boom in construction and electrification due to the use of appliances, services and goods such as electric cars. Now, that is causing other problems, such as a life train incompatible with the formation of families wave Lack of people working in factoriesbeing two of the Shared problems with their neighbors Japan and South Korea.
Two prominent outside the graphic. Germany, Spain and Italy have consumption very similar to those of 25 years ago, but if we look beyond this classification for the 15 main world economies, we have two names that eclipse everyone else. On the one hand, Iceland, with an imposing consumption of 51,920 kWh per person, thanks to the fact that there are not many Icelanders (about 300,000), but they do have A very potent industry such as aluminum, as well as very few hours of light and an extreme climate that requires constant lighting and heating.
In Norway they also put the heating and light the lights, they also have an industry and a high standard of living that allows high consumption, but something that helps its consumption of 24,580 kWh per capita is a tremendous electric car park. In fact, in 2024, Almost 90% of the new cars sold were 100% electricwith what this entails at the charge level both at home and in public networks-
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