Australia is a high-income country in East Asia and the Pacific with 27.6 million people, most of them living in cities. Heat makes up 33% of the energy it uses, well below the world average of about 47%.
Natural gas is the largest source of heat (45%), followed by oil (25%). In total, 80% of the heat comes from coal, oil and gas. Electricity, apart from household heating, makes up 22% of energy use and is generated mainly from fossil fuels (66%).
The country
| Population | 27.6 million2025 |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | US$ 65,1002025 |
| Area | 7,741,200 km²2024 |
| Urban population | 88%2025 |
| Access to electricity | 100%2024 |
| Access to clean cooking | 100%2024 |
| Final energy use | 894 TWh2023 |
Where the energy goes
- Heat33%
- Electricity22%
- Transport45%
Heat in five numbers
| Heatshare of all final energy use | 33% |
|---|---|
| Fossil heatshare of heat that comes from coal, oil and gas | 80% |
| Natural gasthe largest single source of heat | 45% |
| Electricityshare of final energy use, excluding transport and household heating | 22% |
| Fossil electricityshare of electricity generated from coal, oil and gas | 66% |
Heat is all fuel and district heating used in industry, buildings and agriculture, plus the electricity households use for heating, hot water and cooking. Electricity that becomes heat in offices and industry is counted as electricity, so the true heat share is somewhat higher. Fossil heat and the largest source are shares of the fuel and district heating part.