Subbituminous Coal Production by Country
Subbituminous coal production by country measures the amount of subbituminous coal produced in each country, measured in million metric tons (Mmt) per year. Subbituminous coal ranks between lignite and bituminous coal and has a lower energy density than bituminous coal. It is used primarily for power generation and is often consumed near producing regions. The statistics are based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) International Energy Statistics. The table covers 33 countries with a reported 2024 value and includes data from 2019 to 2024. The world total stood at 1,776.0 Mmt in 2024, up from 1,742.5 Mmt in 2023.
The map highlights where subbituminous coal production was most concentrated in 2024, while the table below provides the complete 2019-2024 series. The figures show that global production was highly concentrated among a small number of countries. India was the largest producer of subbituminous coal in 2024, accounting for about 49 percent of the world total. Indonesia ranked second with 571.7 Mmt, followed by the United States with 200.9 Mmt. India and Indonesia together accounted for about 81 percent of global production, while the top three accounted for about 92 percent. India's production was about 1.5 times that of Indonesia. India was the largest producer in 2024 at 869.4 Mmt, followed by Indonesia at 571.7 Mmt and the United States at 200.9 Mmt. Russia ranked fourth with 54.2 Mmt, followed by Australia at 21.5 Mmt, the Philippines at 14.9 Mmt and Kazakhstan at 7.3 Mmt. The top five countries — India, Indonesia, the United States, Russia and Australia — accounted for about 97 percent of the world total. The remaining 28 countries together contributed less than 4 percent, showing how strongly global production was concentrated among the leading producers. Asia accounted for the largest concentration of subbituminous coal production, led by India and Indonesia. The Philippines, Kazakhstan and Mongolia were among the other producers in the region. In Europe, Russia was the largest producer in the dataset, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Poland. In North America, the United States was by far the largest producer, followed by Canada and Mexico. Australia was the leading producer in Oceania, while South Africa was the largest producer in Africa. India recorded the largest increase in production, rising from 824.9 Mmt in 2023 to 869.4 Mmt in 2024, an increase of 44.455 Mmt or about 5.4 percent. Indonesia increased by 37.545 Mmt, while Mexico recorded a smaller increase of 0.773 Mmt. The United States recorded the largest decline, falling from 238.7 Mmt to 200.9 Mmt, a decrease of 37.735 Mmt or about 15.8 percent. Overall, global subbituminous coal production increased by 33.447 Mmt, or about 1.9 percent, reaching 1,776.0 Mmt in 2024. Global subbituminous coal production increased from 1,422.5 Mmt in 2019 to 1,776.0 Mmt in 2024, an overall increase of about 24.9 percent. Production fell to a low of 1,319.7 Mmt in 2020 before recovering in subsequent years. India remained the largest producer throughout the period, increasing from 628.7 Mmt in 2019 to 869.4 Mmt in 2024, an increase of about 38.3 percent. Indonesia also recorded substantial growth, rising from 341.1 Mmt to 571.7 Mmt, an increase of about 67.6 percent. The United States moved in the opposite direction, with production falling from 282.6 Mmt in 2019 to 200.9 Mmt in 2024, a decline of about 28.9 percent. Subbituminous coal is a relatively low-rank coal whose properties fall between those of lignite and bituminous coal. It has a lower energy density than bituminous coal and a higher heating value than lignite, and it is used primarily for steam-electric power generation. Because of its characteristics, subbituminous coal is often used in power generation near producing regions. The production data show how concentrated this part of the coal market is. India, Indonesia and the United States together accounted for more than 92 percent of global subbituminous coal production in 2024, while India and Indonesia alone accounted for about 81 percent. Changes in production in these countries therefore have a substantial effect on the global total. The EIA reports subbituminous coal separately from other coal ranks, reflecting differences in coal characteristics and their energy content. The statistics are based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) International Energy Statistics. Values represent annual subbituminous coal production in million metric tons (Mmt). Where no value is available, the cell is left empty. A value of 0 indicates that the source reports zero production. The sum of individually listed countries may differ slightly from the reported world total due to rounding. This page covers subbituminous coal production only and does not include other coal types, which are reported separately in the source.
Subbituminous Coal Production by Country
1
869.4
2
571.66
3
200.93
4
54.24
5
21.48
6
14.94
7
7.32
8
7.17
9
6.45
10
5.33
11
5.14
12
2.83
13
2.45
14
1.64
15
1.52
16
1.14
17
1.06
18
0.8
19
0.24
20
0.17
21
0.04
22
0.02
23
0.02
24
0
25
0
26
0
27
0
28
0
29
0
30
0
31
0
32
0
33
0
Who Leads Subbituminous Coal Production?
Where Is Subbituminous Coal Production Concentrated?
What Changed Most Recently? (2023-2024)
How Has Subbituminous Coal Production Changed Since 2019?
Subbituminous Coal in Context
Subbituminous Coal Production by Country
#
1
628.67
629.84
645.73
724.54
824.95
869.4
2
341.06
313.88
341.86
470.21
534.12
571.66
3
282.64
222.97
243.18
248.22
238.67
200.93
4
48.42
51.77
55.15
49.7
54.84
54.24
5
26.47
25.49
24.7
23.84
24.84
21.48
6
15.27
13.27
14.38
14.48
14.46
14.94
7
7.12
7.02
7.17
6.29
7.59
7.32
8
4.36
4.31
4.4
6.71
7.11
7.17
9
26.12
18.44
17.59
14.39
8.42
6.45
10
11.15
7.44
7.44
4.27
6.12
5.33
11
5.29
4.59
4.41
4.3
4.37
5.14
12
3.66
3.17
4.65
3.47
3.16
2.83
13
3.46
3.26
3.12
2.8
2.65
2.45
14
3.21
1.85
1.02
0.59
1.28
1.64
15
1.79
1.69
1.38
1.43
1.45
1.52
16
2.19
2.01
2.3
1.62
1.86
1.14
17
1.46
1.39
1.33
1.13
1.02
1.06
18
1.33
1.28
0.99
0.99
0.33
0.8
19
0.99
0.89
0.89
0.74
0.25
0.24
20
0.19
0.16
0.19
0.18
0
0.17
21
0.09
0.09
0.09
0.07
0.04
0.04
22
0.63
0.26
0.71
2.02
0.01
0.02
23
0.03
0.02
0.03
0.02
0.02
0.02
24
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0
0
25
0.94
1.02
1.05
0.57
0
0
26
0.07
0.04
0.04
0.05
0.18
0
27
0.66
0
0
0
0
0
28
0.02
0.1
0.16
0.11
0
0
29
0
0
0
0
0
0
30
4.93
3.18
5.37
3.24
4.62
0
31
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.01
0
0
32
0.23
0.25
0.25
0.2
0.19
0
33
0.01
0.03
0.03
0.01
0.01
0
Methodology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is subbituminous coal?
Subbituminous coal is a relatively low-rank coal whose properties fall between those of lignite and bituminous coal. It has a lower energy density than bituminous coal and a higher heating value than lignite, and it is used primarily for steam-electric power generation.
Why is subbituminous coal often used near producing regions?
Because of its lower energy density, transporting subbituminous coal over long distances can be less economical, so it is often consumed in power generation close to where it is mined.
Which countries produce the most subbituminous coal?
India was the largest producer in 2024 at 869.4 Mmt, followed by Indonesia at 571.7 Mmt and the United States at 200.9 Mmt. Together they accounted for about 92 percent of the world total.
Why do some countries report zero subbituminous coal production?
A zero value indicates that the EIA dataset reports zero subbituminous coal production for that year, while an empty cell indicates that no value was reported.
Data Disclaimer: Projected data (future years) are estimates based on mathematical models. Actual values may differ. Learn about our methodology →
Sources
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Updated: 03.09.2026https://www.eia.gov/international/data/world/coal-and-coke
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