2026-04-28 23:44:00
Extreme weather, electrification, AI, and data centers are putting more pressure on America’s power grids.
As demand rises, utilities need flexible tools to reduce strain before outages occur. But which states lead on flexibility?
This graphic, in partnership with the National Public Utilities Council, shows the states most prepared for power demand surges using peak potential demand savings data from the EIA.
Demand-response programs help utilities lower electricity use during high-stress periods. For example, customers may reduce consumption or shift usage away from peak hours, often in exchange for compensation.
Here is a table showing potential peak-demand savings in MW by state in 2024.
| State | Potential Peak Demand Savings in 2024 (MW) |
|---|---|
| FL | 3,003 |
| AL | 2,153 |
| MN | 2,009 |
| NC | 1,858 |
| MI | 1,550 |
| SC | 1,324 |
| GA | 1,266 |
| IL | 1,143 |
| NY | 1,070 |
| CA | 1,061 |
| TX | 1,050 |
| AR | 1,024 |
| TN | 991 |
| OK | 869 |
| NE | 857 |
| ND | 854 |
| WI | 830 |
| CO | 795 |
| IA | 759 |
| KY | 732 |
| IN | 671 |
| OH | 668 |
| MD | 613 |
| AZ | 555 |
| MS | 522 |
| ID | 466 |
| UT | 336 |
| MO | 307 |
| LA | 267 |
| DE | 246 |
| NV | 200 |
| SD | 180 |
| OR | 178 |
| VA | 163 |
| KS | 143 |
| CT | 135 |
| MA | 120 |
| WA | 112 |
| VT | 72 |
| NM | 69 |
| HI | 58 |
| MT | 52 |
| PA | 43 |
| WV | 34 |
| NJ | 27 |
| DC | 20 |
| AK | 18 |
| ME | 15 |
| NH | 5 |
| RI | 0 |
| WY | 0 |
Florida ranks first, with 3,003 MW in potential peak demand savings. Alabama follows at 2,153 MW, while Minnesota places third at 2,009 MW.
Together, these states demonstrate how demand-response capacity can buffer the grid during grid stress. Meanwhile, data center power demand continues to rise as AI adoption grows.
Florida and Alabama lead the nation, supported by demand-response programs from utilities including FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Alabama Power, and TVA. North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia also rank in the top seven.
As a result, the Southeast stands out for its ability to manage demand spikes. These programs can help utilities avoid outages without adding new generation immediately.
At the other end, Rhode Island and Wyoming report no demand-response capacity. That leaves fewer options to cut demand when electricity use surges.
Several northeastern states, including New Hampshire, Maine, and New Jersey, also report minimal demand-response capacity.
As U.S. electricity demand rises from data center construction after years of slower growth, demand-response programs give utilities an important tool to manage peak stress.
A look at which U.S. power sources run most consistently, and why nuclear remains central as utility demand grows.
Which U.S. states are winning the data center race? This visualization shows the states gaining and losing data center market share in the next two years.
Which states dominate carbon offsets? This U.S. map shows the hotspots as utilities respond to the AI electricity surge.
Just four U.S. utilities operate with over 80% carbon-free generation. This graphic ranks the top 10 cleanest utilities by their fuel mix.
This streamgraph shows projected offshore wind capacity by region, according to The Global Wind Energy Council.
Severe weather caused all ten of the largest U.S. power outages in the past decade, highlighting the importance of grid resiliency.
This treemap chart uses data from Statistical Review of World Energy to show the top 10 countries with the most battery storage capacity in 2023.
This voronoi depicts the countries that capture the most carbon globally in 2023, with data from Rystad Energy.
This bar chart shows the countries’ highest and lowest energy transition index scores determined by the World Economic Forum.
This dumbbell plot shows the most and least expensive sources of energy in the U.S., using data from Lazard.
This infographic shows the greenhouse gas emissions targets of all countries and their target years with data from Net Zero Tracker.
This bar chart shows the varying prices of carbon across different economies around the globe, using data from the World Bank.
This streamgraph shows the growth in renewable energy capacity by country and region since 2000.
From tropical cyclones to severe storms, the number of extreme weather disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion has climbed over time.
What are the most polluted cities in the U.S. according to data from the American Lung Association’s 2024 State of the Air Report?
The U.S. emits about 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases a year. Here’s how these emissions rank by sector.
Can America become carbon-free by 2035? This graphic breaks down the United States’ electricity mix, by state.
This infographic highlights announced coal plant closures in the U.S. and how much power will be affected.
2026-04-28 22:25:45
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Banks sit at the center of the global financial system, and the assets they hold help move credit, deposits, and liquidity through the economy.
Together, the world’s 50 largest banks hold $101.6 trillion in assets, a total approaching the world’s $111 trillion government debt load in 2025.
This graphic ranks the 50 largest banks in the world by total assets, using data from CompaniesMarketCap as of April 15, 2026. The figures represent each bank’s total assets for the most recent reporting period and include cash and cash equivalents, loans, investments, properties, and equipment.
Chinese banks dominate the top of the ranking. The four largest banks in the world are all Chinese state-owned lenders: ICBC, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Bank of China.
Together, those four institutions hold $25.5 trillion, or roughly one-quarter of the $101.6 trillion total of the top 50 banks.
The data table below shows the values of the 50 largest global banks’ assets, along with the country of each bank.
| Rank | Bank | Total Assets (Billions, USD) | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ICBC | $7,300 |
 China |
| 2 | Agricultural Bank of China | $6,800 |
China |
| 3 | China Construction Bank | $6,200 |
China |
| 4 | Bank of China | $5,300 |
China |
| 5 | JPMorgan Chase | $4,400 |
 United States |
| 6 | Bank of America | $3,400 |
United States |
| 7 | BNP Paribas | $3,300 |
 France |
| 8 | HSBC | $3,200 |
 United Kingdom |
| 9 | Crédit Agricole | $2,800 |
France |
| 10 | Mitsubishi UFJ Financial | $2,700 |
 Japan |
| 11 | Citigroup | $2,700 |
United States |
| 12 | Postal Savings Bank of China | $2,500 |
China |
| 13 | Santander | $2,200 |
 Spain |
| 14 | Bank of Communications | $2,200 |
China |
| 15 | Wells Fargo | $2,200 |
United States |
| 16 | Barclays | $2,100 |
United Kingdom |
| 17 | Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group | $2,000 |
Japan |
| 18 | Mizuho Financial Group | $1,900 |
Japan |
| 19 | Société Générale | $1,800 |
France |
| 20 | Goldman Sachs | $1,800 |
United States |
| 21 | CM Bank | $1,800 |
China |
| 22 | Royal Bank Of Canada | $1,700 |
 Canada |
| 23 | Deutsche Bank | $1,700 |
 Germany |
| 24 | UBS | $1,600 |
 Switzerland |
| 25 | Japan Post Bank | $1,600 |
Japan |
| 26 | Toronto Dominion Bank | $1,500 |
Canada |
| 27 | Industrial Bank | $1,500 |
China |
| 28 | Morgan Stanley | $1,400 |
United States |
| 29 | CITIC Bank | $1,400 |
China |
| 30 | Shanghai Pudong Development Bank | $1,400 |
China |
| 31 | Lloyds Banking Group | $1,300 |
United Kingdom |
| 32 | ING | $1,200 |
 Netherlands |
| 33 | Intesa Sanpaolo | $1,100 |
 Italy |
| 34 | China Minsheng Bank | $1,100 |
China |
| 35 | Scotiabank | $1,100 |
Canada |
| 36 | Schweizerische Nationalbank | $1,100 |
Switzerland |
| 37 | Bank of Montreal | $1,100 |
Canada |
| 38 | UniCredit | $1,000 |
Italy |
| 39 | China Everbright Bank | $1,000 |
China |
| 40 | Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria | $1,000 |
Spain |
| 41 | NatWest Group | $962 |
United Kingdom |
| 42 | Commonwealth Bank | $944 |
 Australia |
| 43 | Standard Chartered | $920 |
United Kingdom |
| 44 | State Bank of India | $878 |
 India |
| 45 | ANZ Bank | $857 |
Australia |
| 46 | CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) | $832 |
Canada |
| 47 | Ping An Bank | $820 |
China |
| 48 | CaixaBank | $780 |
Spain |
| 49 | Nordea Bank | $769 |
 Finland |
| 50 | DBS Group | $699 |
 Singapore |
The U.S. comes next, led by JPMorgan Chase with $4.4 trillion in assets and Bank of America with $3.4 trillion.
The rest of the top 10 is rounded out by three European banks (BNP Paribas, HSBC, Crédit Agricole) and one Japanese lender (Mitsubishi UFJ).
A large part of banks’ assets are cash and liquid assets, partly because regulators require them to withstand market stress and funding pressure.
Asia leads the ranking, holding nearly half of the assets of the world’s 50 largest lenders.
| Region | # of Banks | Average Assets per Bank | Total Assets (USD, Billions) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Asia |
19 | $2,584 | $49,097 |
 Europe |
18 | $1,602 | $28,831 |
 North America |
11 | $2,012 | $22,132 |
 Other |
2 | $901 | $1,801 |
That dominance is driven overwhelmingly by 13 Chinese banks, which alone account for about 39% of the total.
Europe ranks second, largely on volume rather than scale: it has nearly as many banks on the list as Asia (18 vs. 19), yet those institutions are generally smaller, averaging just $1.6 trillion in assets per bank compared with Asia’s $2.6 trillion.
North America is anchored by six U.S. banks and five Canadian ones, giving the region fewer banks than Europe but larger institutions on average.
To learn about the assets held by central banks, check out this graphic, which visualizes the top 20 central banks by assets.
2026-04-28 19:45:50
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Since 2020, nearly $1 trillion in foreign capital has been committed to U.S. projects—often through a small number of very large investments.
Using data from fDi Intelligence, this map shows where that capital is being deployed, based on announced commitments between 2020 and 2025.
Arizona accounts for the largest share at nearly $200 billion, driven by major semiconductor projects. Other leading states, including Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia, are attracting investment tied to EVs, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.
Arizona captured over 20% of total U.S. foreign capital commitments since 2020, fueled by TSMC’s $165 billion megaproject.
As the largest single foreign direct investment (FDI) project in U.S. history, it highlights how semiconductor manufacturing is becoming a cornerstone of domestic industrial policy. Over the next decade, these facilities are expected to generate thousands of jobs and anchor long-term supply chains in the region.
The table below ranks all states by announced FDI. The top five alone account for more than half of total inflows, reflecting how a small number of large projects are shaping the national picture.
| Rank | State or District | Foreign Direct Investment 2020-2025 |
Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $196.2B | 20.3% |
| 2 | Texas | $158.3B | 16.4% |
| 3 | North Carolina | $49.9B | 5.2% |
| 4 | California | $49.9B | 5.2% |
| 5 | Georgia | $41.2B | 4.3% |
| 6 | New York | $38.7B | 4.0% |
| 7 | Louisiana | $37.4B | 3.9% |
| 8 | Indiana | $29.5B | 3.1% |
| 9 | Tennessee | $25.4B | 2.6% |
| 10 | Ohio | $25.2B | 2.6% |
| 11 | Illinois | $24.9B | 2.6% |
| 12 | Kentucky | $23.8B | 2.5% |
| 13 | Florida | $23.0B | 2.4% |
| 14 | South Carolina | $21.9B | 2.3% |
| 15 | Michigan | $18.2B | 1.9% |
| 16 | Virginia | $17.7B | 1.8% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $17.4B | 1.8% |
| 18 | New Jersey | $12.6B | 1.3% |
| 19 | Alabama | $11.6B | 1.2% |
| 20 | Oklahoma | $11.2B | 1.2% |
| 21 | Maryland | $10.2B | 1.1% |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $9.9B | 1.0% |
| 23 | Colorado | $9.1B | 0.9% |
| 24 | New Mexico | $8.3B | 0.9% |
| 25 | Nevada | $8.2B | 0.8% |
| 26 | Kansas | $7.5B | 0.8% |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $7.4B | 0.8% |
| 28 | West Virginia | $6.3B | 0.7% |
| 29 | Washington | $5.7B | 0.6% |
| 30 | Mississippi | $5.5B | 0.6% |
| 31 | Missouri | $5.4B | 0.6% |
| 32 | Utah | $4.9B | 0.5% |
| 33 | Oregon | $4.7B | 0.5% |
| 34 | Arkansas | $4.5B | 0.5% |
| 35 | Minnesota | $4.3B | 0.4% |
| 36 | Connecticut | $3.4B | 0.3% |
| 37 | Alaska | $3.2B | 0.3% |
| 38 | North Dakota | $2.8B | 0.3% |
| 39 | Vermont | $2.6B | 0.3% |
| 40 | Idaho | $2.6B | 0.3% |
| 41 | South Dakota | $2.5B | 0.3% |
| 42 | Wyoming | $2.5B | 0.3% |
| 43 | Maine | $2.3B | 0.2% |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $1.8B | 0.2% |
| 45 | Iowa | $1.8B | 0.2% |
| 46 | Delaware | $1.7B | 0.2% |
| 47 | Nebraska | $1.2B | 0.1% |
| 48 | Washington D.C. | $1.1B | 0.1% |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $850M | 0.1% |
| 50 | Hawaii | $590M | 0.1% |
| 51 | Montana | $130M | 0.01% |
Texas attracted $158 billion in investment, led by Samsung’s $44 billion chip facility. Beyond semiconductors, the state is also seeing strong inflows into data centers and clean energy, reinforcing its position as one of America’s top investment hubs.
Automakers are also investing heavily in the Southeast. Toyota is building a $13.9 billion EV battery plant in North Carolina, while Hyundai is investing $12.7 billion in Georgia, cementing the region’s role in EV supply chains.
Beyond the top tier, investment levels drop off quickly. While leading states are attracting tens—or even hundreds—of billions, many others are seeing only modest inflows.
Overall, 20 states attracted less than $5 billion each, with Montana ($130 million), Hawaii ($590 million), and Rhode Island ($850 million) ranking at the bottom.
Many of these states have smaller labor pools that limit their ability to support large-scale projects. Meanwhile, higher-cost states like Oregon and Minnesota face regulatory pressures that may be limiting their ability to capture more investment.
Instead, foreign investment is increasingly clustering in states that can support large-scale industrial projects—particularly in semiconductors, EVs, and clean energy—leaving much of the country on the sidelines.
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the share of U.S. exports by state.
2026-04-28 17:34:04
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Dozens of countries are currently relying on the International Monetary Fund as economic pressures strain public finances.
This map, created by Iswardi Ishak using International Monetary Fund (IMF) data, shows outstanding IMF credit by country as of April 2026.
While borrowing is widespread, a handful of countries account for a disproportionate share—led by Argentina, which stands far ahead of the rest.
Argentina isn’t just the largest IMF borrower—it’s in a league of its own, owing nearly four times more than the next-largest country.
With over $60 billion in outstanding credit, Argentina’s total reflects a long cycle of inflation crises, currency instability, and repeated IMF programs stretching back decades.
Below, we break down the global distribution of IMF debt and highlight the largest borrowers.
| Rank | Member | IMF Debt (USD, millions) | IMF Debt as share of GDP (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Argentina |
60,176 | 8.7 |
| 2 |
 Ukraine |
15,481 | 6.9 |
| 3 |
 Egypt |
10,669 | 2.5 |
| 4 |
 Pakistan |
10,500 | 2.6 |
| 5 |
 Ecuador |
10,082 | 7.3 |
| 6 |
 Côte d'Ivoire |
5,189 | 5.3 |
| 7 |
 Kenya |
4,216 | 2.9 |
| 8 |
 Bangladesh |
4,157 | 0.8 |
| 9 |
 Ghana |
3,947 | 3.3 |
| 10 |
 Angola |
3,510 | 2.3 |
| 11 |
 Congo (DRC) |
3,201 | 3.5 |
| 12 |
 Costa Rica |
2,555 | 2.3 |
| 13 |
 Ethiopia |
2,541 | 2.1 |
| 14 |
 Sri Lanka |
2,537 | 2.6 |
| 15 |
 Jordan |
2,371 | 3.7 |
| 16 |
 Tanzania |
1,923 | 2.0 |
| 17 |
 Zambia |
1,831 | 4.4 |
| 18 |
 Cameroon |
1,684 | 2.6 |
| 19 |
 Sudan |
1,428 | 3.2 |
| 20 |
 Uganda |
1,378 | 1.9 |
| 21 |
 Morocco |
1,350 | 0.7 |
| 22 |
 Jamaica |
1,278 | 5.6 |
| 23 |
 Papua New Guinea |
1,237 | 3.6 |
| 24 |
 Serbia |
1,226 | 1.1 |
| 25 |
 Senegal |
1,214 | 3.0 |
| 26 |
 Benin |
1,163 | 4.2 |
| 27 |
 Moldova |
1,016 | 4.6 |
| 28 |
 Madagascar |
988 | 4.7 |
| 29 |
 Rwanda |
830 | 4.8 |
| 30 |
 Niger |
674 | 2.7 |
| 31 |
 Honduras |
658 | 1.6 |
| 32 |
 Suriname |
620 | 10.5 |
| 33 |
 Chad |
610 | 2.4 |
| 34 |
 Barbados |
574 | 6.8 |
| 35 |
 Nepal |
565 | 1.2 |
| 36 |
 Tunisia |
555 | 0.9 |
| 37 |
 Mauritania |
543 | 3.8 |
| 38 |
 Mali |
520 | 1.5 |
| 39 |
 Gabon |
514 | 2.2 |
| 40 |
 Sierra Leone |
506 | 6.1 |
| 41 |
 Congo, Republic of |
499 | 3.2 |
| 42 |
 Afghanistan |
499 | 2.5 |
| 43 |
 Burkina Faso |
480 | 1.5 |
| 44 |
 Georgia |
466 | 1.1 |
| 45 |
 Togo |
432 | 3.2 |
| 46 |
 Guinea |
422 | 1.4 |
| 47 |
 Malawi |
388 | 2.1 |
| 48 |
 South Sudan |
354 | 6.2 |
| 49 |
 Paraguay |
334 | 0.6 |
| 50 |
 Central African Republic |
299 | 8.6 |
| 51 |
 North Macedonia |
278 | 1.5 |
| 52 |
 Liberia |
264 | 4.7 |
| 53 |
 El Salvador |
248 | 0.6 |
| 54 |
 Myanmar |
236 | 0.3 |
| 55 |
 Haiti |
221 | 0.6 |
| 56 |
 The Gambia |
217 | 7.8 |
| 57 |
 Kosovo |
205 | 1.5 |
| 58 |
 Tajikistan |
180 | 0.9 |
| 59 |
 Somalia |
168 | 1.2 |
| 60 |
 Seychelles |
149 | 6.6 |
| 61 |
 Burundi |
144 | 1.8 |
| 62 |
 Uzbekistan |
119 | 0.1 |
| 63 |
 Cabo Verde |
118 | 3.4 |
| 64 |
 Kyrgyzstan |
88 | 0.4 |
| 65 |
 Mongolia |
82 | 0.3 |
| 66 |
 Guinea-Bissau |
81 | 2.7 |
| 67 |
 Armenia |
71 | 0.2 |
| 68 |
 Nicaragua |
62 | 0.3 |
| 69 |
 Equatorial Guinea |
45 | 0.3 |
| 70 |
 Sao Tome & Principe |
44 | 4.5 |
| 71 |
 Djibouti |
41 | 0.9 |
| 72 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
38 | 0.1 |
| 73 |
 Comoros |
38 | 2.1 |
| 74 |
 St. Lucia |
28 | 1.1 |
| 75 |
 St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
27 | 2.3 |
| 76 |
 Maldives |
24 | 0.3 |
| 77 |
 Grenada |
23 | 1.6 |
| 78 |
 Samoa |
21 | 1.5 |
| 79 |
 Albania |
21 | 0.1 |
| 80 |
 Tonga |
20 | 2.8 |
| 81 |
 Lesotho |
15 | 0.5 |
| 82 |
 Dominica |
13 | 1.7 |
| 83 |
 Solomon Islands |
9 | 0.5 |
The next largest borrowers include Ukraine, Egypt, and Pakistan. Meanwhile, dozens of countries owe under $1 billion, particularly across Africa.
Suriname stands out on a relative basis rather than in absolute terms. The South American nation has the highest IMF debt as a share of GDP, reflecting a severe economic crisis in the early 2020s. After years of fiscal mismanagement, declining oil revenues, and mounting external debt, Suriname defaulted on its sovereign obligations in 2020.
This triggered an IMF-supported restructuring program aimed at stabilizing public finances and curbing inflation. The adjustment process has involved significant austerity measures and currency depreciation.
Countries typically borrow from the IMF during periods of economic distress. These situations often fall into a few common categories:
For example, Argentina has repeatedly sought IMF assistance amid inflation and currency crises, while nations like Sri Lanka and Pakistan have turned to the IMF during severe external debt pressures.
Unlike traditional loans, IMF financing is denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), an international reserve asset created by the IMF. SDRs are based on a basket of major currencies:
Countries receive SDR allocations or loans, which can then be exchanged for hard currency. For this dataset, IMF figures were converted into U.S. dollars (roughly $1.44 per SDR).
Africa stands out not for the size of its IMF loans, but for how widespread they are. The continent has the highest number of borrowing countries, reflecting persistent structural challenges that make external financing a recurring necessity.
This reflects structural challenges such as:
Many African nations borrow relatively smaller amounts, but their reliance on IMF support is widespread.
Despite its role as a financial backstop, the IMF has faced criticism over its policy conditions. Loan programs often require economic reforms, such as austerity measures, that can be politically and socially challenging.
Critics argue these conditions can slow growth or worsen inequality, while supporters say they are necessary for long-term stability.
Explore related insights on global debt dynamics in this visualization: Africa’s Chinese Debt.
2026-04-28 11:53:57
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Coal consumption is highly concentrated among a small number of major economies, with China sitting far ahead of every other country.
This chart ranks the world’s largest coal consumers using data from the Statistical Review of World Energy 2025, highlighting how demand is distributed across major economies.
China consumed 92.2 exajoules of coal in 2024, equal to 55.8% of the global total. This reflects the scale of the country’s industrial base, electricity needs, and continued reliance on coal-fired power, even as it rapidly expands renewable energy capacity.
Below we list the biggest coal consumers based on 2024 data:
| Rank | Country | Exajoules of coal use (2024) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
China |
92.2 | 55.8% |
| 2 |
India |
23.0 | 13.9% |
| 3 |
U.S. |
7.9 | 4.8% |
| 4 |
 Indonesia |
4.7 | 2.9% |
| 5 |
Japan |
4.5 | 2.7% |
| 6 |
 Russia |
3.8 | 2.3% |
| 7 |
 South Africa |
3.5 | 2.1% |
| 8 |
 South Korea |
2.9 | 1.7% |
| 9 |
 Vietnam |
2.5 | 1.5% |
| 10 |
 Türkiye |
1.8 | 1.1% |
| 11 |
Germany |
1.6 | 1.0% |
| 12 |
Australia |
1.5 | 0.9% |
| 13 |
 Kazakhstan |
1.5 | 0.9% |
| 14 |
Other |
13.8 | 8.4% |
| 15 |
World Total |
165.1 | 100.0% |
Together, China and India account for nearly 70% of global coal consumption, underscoring how concentrated demand is between the world’s two most populous countries.
Beyond these two giants, the U.S. ranks third with 4.8% of global consumption, followed by Indonesia (2.9%), Japan (2.7%), and Russia (2.3%).
As countries transition toward cleaner energy, coal demand is moving in different directions. While usage has declined in many advanced economies, it continues to rise in several fast-growing countries where energy demand is still expanding.
The following table shows where coal use grew the most in top coal consumers between 2023 and 2024:
| Country | 2023 (Exajoules) | 2024 (Exajoules) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vietnam |
2.3 | 2.5 | 9.3% |
|
Indonesia |
4.3 | 4.7 | 9.0% |
|
Türkiye |
1.7 | 1.8 | 7.1% |
|
India |
22.1 | 23.0 | 3.7% |
|
South Africa |
3.4 | 3.5 | 1.9% |
|
China |
90.7 | 92.2 | 1.4% |
Vietnam saw the biggest increase at 9.3%, followed closely by Indonesia at 9.0%. Türkiye also posted strong growth at 7.1%, while India’s consumption rose by 3.7%.
Even China, already the world’s largest coal consumer by a wide margin, saw demand rise by 1.4% in 2024.
While coal use is declining across much of the West, it continues to grow in several emerging economies—highlighting the uneven pace of the global energy transition.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this post had incorrect data. It has now been updated to reflect the most recent data based on the Statistical Review of World Energy published in 2025.
See the biggest sources of energy around the world in every country in this global map.
2026-04-28 02:47:09
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Helium is often associated with party balloons, but its importance extends far beyond celebrations.
This rare gas is one of the most strategic gases in the world, and it’s essential for advanced technologies, including semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace systems, and medical imaging.
This visual highlights how global helium production is concentrated among a few key countries. The data for this visualization comes from USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.
The global helium market is unusually concentrated, with just two countries dominating supply. This creates a structural vulnerability: any disruption in either country can have outsized effects on global industries that rely on helium.
The United States leads global helium production, accounting for 42.6% of output in 2025. This figure includes helium imported from Canada and refined domestically, boosting its share.
Qatar ranks second with 33.2%, meaning the two countries together dominate global supply.
| Country | Production (Cubic Feet) | World Production (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States |
2,860 | 42.6% |
 Qatar |
2,225 | 33.2% |
|
Russia |
636 | 9.5% |
 Algeria |
388 | 5.8% |
|
Canada |
212 | 3.2% |
|
China |
106 | 1.6% |
 Poland |
106 | 1.6% |
|
South Africa |
18 | 0.3% |
|
Other |
159 | 2.4% |
|
World Total |
6,710 | 100.0% |
Recent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz—a critical shipping route for Qatar—highlight how fragile helium supply chains can be. Any disruption to exports from the region can quickly impact countries like South Korea, where semiconductor manufacturing depends on steady helium imports.
Russia produces about 9.5% of the world’s helium, placing it third globally. However, its ability to supply Western markets is limited by EU sanctions on Russian helium imports.
Meanwhile, China accounts for a relatively small share of global helium production, contributing about 1.6% in 2025. Despite its limited domestic supply, the country is a major consumer due to its large semiconductor and electronics industries. This imbalance makes China heavily reliant on imports to meet its growing demand.
Helium demand is tightly linked to high-tech and medical industries, where reliability is critical and substitutes are limited.
Scientific research accounts for 22% of global consumption, followed by semiconductor production and lifting gas applications at 17% each. Medical use, particularly in MRI machines, represents another 15% of demand.
As demand grows across semiconductors, healthcare, and scientific research, helium is becoming less of a niche resource and more of a strategic one. With supply concentrated in just a handful of countries, securing reliable access is emerging as a priority for governments and industries alike.
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