Electricity consumption per capita by country 2026: world ranking and where Chile stands

Updated on 8 November 2026. Chile used 4,484 kWh of electricity per person in 2024, 18.3% more than the world average of 3,790 kWh, according to Ember electricity demand data processed by Our World in Data (update of 30 June 2026). That places Chile 69th of 196 countries and territories, and first in South America. Iceland leads with 48,424 kWh per person, almost eleven times Chile.

Electricity use per person sums up the weight of industry, climate and electrification in each country. This data sheet brings together the 2024 world ranking, the country map, the position of Latin American countries and the trend since 2000, including the moment China overtook Chile.

The measure is each country's electricity demand (generation plus imports, minus exports) divided by its population. It includes households, industry, mining, commerce and electric transport, not just residential use. 2024 is the latest year with data for every country; for 2025, Ember has figures for only about 90 countries.

Source: Ember (2026), via Our World in Data. Ratios calculated by Energía Futura. The ranking includes territories with their own data, such as Puerto Rico or Guam.

The top places have two profiles. Iceland, Norway, Canada and Finland have abundant, cheap electricity, much of it hydro or geothermal, cold winters with electric heating and industries that use it in bulk: in Iceland, aluminum smelters produce about 750,000 tonnes a year and, at roughly 14 MWh per tonne, need more than half of its electricity. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the Emirates have extreme climates with air conditioning almost all year and desalinate their water with energy.

Aluminum explains much of the list. According to the USGS, in 2025 Bahrain produced 1.6 million tonnes of primary aluminum, Norway 1.3 million, Canada 3.3 million and the United Arab Emirates 2.7 million, and each tonne requires around 14 MWh of electricity. That is why countries with small populations and large smelters rank high even if their households use no more than those of other rich countries.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, only Trinidad and Tobago (6,334 kWh) and Puerto Rico (6,169 kWh) exceed Chile. They are followed by Uruguay (4,288 kWh), Paraguay (3,811), Brazil (3,572) and Argentina (3,538). At the other end, Haiti recorded 73 kWh per person in 2024, one of the lowest figures in the world.

Chile's position is explained largely by mining and industry, big electricity users. Household consumption is much lower: an average Chilean home uses about 180 kWh a month, as we calculated in how much electricity a house in Chile uses. Price also influences how much is used and varies widely between countries, as our ranking of electricity prices in Latin America shows.

Preliminary 2025 data, available for about 90 countries, show Chile at 4,456 kWh per person, 0.6% less than in 2024, while the world average rose 1.8% to 3,860 kWh. China kept growing, to 7,460 kWh (+5.1%), and the United States reached 13,061 kWh (+2.4%). In the region, Paraguay made the biggest jump: from 3,811 to 4,228 kWh, up 10.9%, while Uruguay rose to 4,358 kWh, less than 100 kWh behind Chile.

Among large economies, the United States (12,752 kWh) and South Korea (12,092) use almost three times as much as Chile. Russia (8,237) and Japan (8,213) use about double. In Europe, France (7,090) and Germany (6,177) exceed Chile, but the United Kingdom is almost level: 4,590 kWh, 67th, just two places above. South Africa (3,847) and Turkey (3,890) are close to the world average.

At the other end are the countries with the least grid access. Chad recorded 18 kWh per person in 2024, last place, followed by Somalia (23), Sierra Leone (24), Guinea-Bissau (36) and Burundi (41). In those countries, an average Chilean uses in a day and a half what a resident uses all year. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, averaged 152 kWh.

One caveat: these figures divide a country's total electricity demand by its population, so a country with heavy industry ranks high even if its households use little. Nor do they include energy used as fuels, such as firewood, gas or gasoline, which in Chile are still households' main energy source for heating and transport.

Electricity use per Chilean rose from 2,729 kWh in 2000 to 4,484 kWh in 2024, an increase of 64%. The peak came in 2022, at 4,656 kWh, and it has dipped slightly since. The world average grew 53% over the same period, from 2,476 to 3,790 kWh.

Source: Ember (2026), via Our World in Data; kWh per person per year. The most striking case is China: in 2000 it used 1,061 kWh per person, less than half of Chile, and by 2015 it had caught up (4,156 vs 4,151 kWh). In 2024 it averaged 7,095 kWh, 58% more than Chile, driven by its industry and the electrification of its economy.

Consumption per person will keep rising as more activities are electrified: electric cars and buses, heat pumps, green hydrogen and data centers. In Chile, system planning foresees that electricity demand could almost double by 2046, as we explain in Chile's electricity demand projection. The gap with electricity-rich countries will depend on how much of that energy is renewable and cheap.

Energía Futura (2026). "Electricity consumption per capita by country 2026: world ranking and where Chile stands". Updated on 8 November 2026. energiafutura.cl/en/news/electricity-consumption-per-capita-by-country-2026-world-ranking-and-where-chile-stands. Data: Ember (2026), Yearly Electricity Data, processed by Our World in Data.

How much electricity does each Chilean use per year?

4,484 kWh in 2024, according to Ember. It includes households, industry, mining and commerce.

Which country uses the most electricity per person?

Iceland, with 48,424 kWh per person in 2024, due to its aluminum smelters and its geothermal and hydro power.

What is the world average?

3,790 kWh per person in 2024 and 3,860 kWh in 2025, according to the same database.

Where does Chile rank in Latin America?

It is first in South America and third in Latin America and the Caribbean, behind Trinidad and Tobago and Puerto Rico.

Why are there territories in the ranking?

Because Ember publishes its own data for territories such as Puerto Rico or Guam. Chile's rank is counted among the 196 countries and territories with 2024 data.

Since when has China used more electricity per person than Chile?

Since 2015, when both were around 4,150 kWh. In 2024, China reached 7,095 kWh.