Which countries have the largest coal reserves and production?

Did you know the countries with the largest coal reserves aren’t always the biggest producers?

Largest Coal Reserve (International – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2023.):

1. United states with a reserve of 273, 244 millions tons;
2. Russia with 178,757 millions tons reserve;
3. China with 173,108 million tons reserve;
4. Australia with 164,764 million tons reserve;
5. India with 140,795 million tons reserve;
6. Germany with 39,022 million tons reserve;
7. Indonesia with 38,641 million tons reserve;
8. Ukraine with 37,892 million tons reserve;
9. Kyrgyzstan with 31,415 million tons reserve;
10. Poland with 30,598 million tons reserve.

Largest Coal Production (Canada, 2017):

1. China with production of 4,144 millions tonnes;
2. India with production of 944 million tonnes;
3. Indonesia with a production of 687 million tonnes;
4. United states with a production of 539 million tonnes:
5. Australia with a production of 458 million tonnes.

What does this distribution mean for future energy security and the path to net-zero?

Reference:

• Canada, N. R. (2017, October 6). Coal facts. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/mining-data-statistics-analysis/minerals-metals-facts/coal-facts

• International—U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.eia.gov/international/rankings/world?pa=264&u=0&f=A&v=none&y=01%2F01%2F2023&ev=fals