The article “Global Energy Consumption Trends, 1965-2024” provides a comparative overview of energy consumption worldwide and on individual continents, as well as general consumption trends and energy consumption from various sources during the period 1965-2024. The article presents three main strategies for renewable energy sources, as well as the starting points for energy transition in Europe and North America. 

One of the main conclusions of this article is that global energy consumption from hydrocarbon sources will grow faster in absolute terms than consumption from renewable sources, and therefore, the global struggle for hydrocarbon resources and their transportation routes will continue. 

The overall context for energy development is the structural change in the world order:  the U.S. is losing its hegemony, and competition between geopolitical poles is intensifying. On the one hand, energy independence is a key to success in the competition between these poles, and on the other hand, it is a prerequisite for occupying a central position in the sixth economic order.   

The consequences of the structural dynamics of the global system include the systematic occurrence of military conflicts and wars around the world, one of the aims of which is to establish control over natural resources, including energy resources, and transportation routes for them. 

In this context, developed countries, especially in Europe, have been implementing an “energy transition policy” over the past 25 years, aimed at ensuring Europe’s energy independence by increasing the use of renewable energy sources and reducing the use of oil, coal and gas. This trend intensified as a result of the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis (2014) and the Russian-Ukrainian War (2022).   

The transformation of the European Union into a fully-fledged geopolitical pole is based on the economic and technological power growth of its two most important countries: Germany and France. 

Monitoring the state and development of the energy sector in Germany and France is of great importance for an adequate assessment of current global and regional processes, their consequences, and the formation and development of the European Union as one of the geopolitical poles. 

Energy consumption in Germany and France, 1965-2024

The general trends in energy consumption in  Germany and France from 1965 to 2024 (Chart 1) are similar to those in Europe presented in the article “Global Energy Consumption Trends, 1965-2024”. It includes periods of sustained growth, stabilization, and gradual decline in energy consumption. It is not excluded that a new stage of growth began in 2022, however, this assumption remains hypothetical. 

Chart 1. Energy Consumption in Germany and France, TWh (Terawatt-hour), 1965-2024, Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

In Germany and France, long periods of growth in energy consumption alternated with short periods of decline: 1973-1975 and 1979-1982. The chart also shows that the long-term decline in energy consumption began in Germany in 1989 and in France in 2005. 

The first sharp decline in energy consumption took place following the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, which led to the first oil crisis of 1973-1975, when the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) blocked oil production in the U.S. and European countries in response to their support for Israel in the Arab-Israeli War. Oil prices increased fourfold. 

The decline in energy consumption from 1979 to 1982 was driven by the second oil crisis, when oil production in Iran fell sharply following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. This was followed by the Iran-Iraq War, which further restricted oil supplies. Oil prices doubled, leading to an economic downturn in Europe. This, in turn, led to a decline in energy demand. Rising unemployment and falling consumer demand also contributed to increased energy consumption in Europe.    

As a result of these two crises, Germany and France began actively implementing energy efficiency programs, limiting fuel consumption, encouraging the transition to alternative energy sources, and developing nuclear energy, while Germany expanded cooperation with the USSR in gas imports to reduce its dependence on oil.[1]

Structural changes began in German and French industry, with a shift from coal and oil-based technologies to more energy efficient technologies. France began to develop nuclear energy  more actively, while Germany diversified its energy sources by developing gas and coal energy. These events formed the basis for the future energy strategies of both countries. [2]

In 2007, energy consumption in Germany declined, while industrial production in US dollars increased compared to 2006. This decline was due not only to weather factors (a warm winter) but also to increased energy efficiency and structural changes in the economy. This was the first noticeable sign that energy consumption could decline even under economic growth, thanks to energy-saving policies and a shift to new energy sources.   

In Germany and France, the overall trend in energy consumption from 2017 to 2024 was downward. In France, the decline averaged approximately 56 TWh per year, and in Germany it was twice as fast at around 112 TWh per year. The development of the energy sector and its context in this recent period, which, as already mentioned, is taking place against the backdrop of structural changes in the world order, will be discussed in a separate article.    

Energy consumption in Germany and France by energy source, 1965-2024 

The structure of energy consumption in Germany by source for 202d is shown on Chart 2, and for the period 1965-2024 is shown in Chart 3. [3]

Chart 2. Germany’s energy consumption by source, %, 2024, Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review 

Despite the long-term policy of transitioning to renewable energy sources, in 2024, oil ranked first in Germany’s energy consumption structure, accounting for 37.3% of total energy consumption, followed by gas 24.9%, and coal 13.9%. That is,

• In 2024, 76% of the energy consumed in Germany was obtained from hydrocarbon fuels. 

Wind energy ranked only fourth with 10.7%, solar energy ranked fifth with 5.7%, other renewables accounted for 4.8% of total energy consumption, hydropower accounted for 1.7%,  and nuclear energy was no longer consumed. 

The change in Germany’s energy consumption structure from 1965 to 2024 is shown in Chart 3. 

• During that period, the share of coal in Germany’s energy consumption structure fell from 63% to 13.9%.
• The share of gas increased from 1% to 24.9%.

The main factor behind the growth in the share of gas was the intensive import of Russian gas to Germany, which began in 1970, when the first long-term agreement known as “gas for pipes” was signed between the USSR and Germany. Germany supplied large-diameter pipes for the Soviet gas infrastructure, in return for natural gas. This marked the beginning of stable and large-scale gas supply via pipelines, which gradually made Germany the largest importer of Russian gas in Europe.

The next major contract for the supply of natural gas was signed in 1981 for the supply of gas to Germany via the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod gas pipeline (capacity 32 billion cubic meters/per year). The third important step was taken in 2011, when the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year, was launched. The fourth step was the construction of the North Stream 2 gas pipeline, which began in 2018 and has a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year. Construction of this pipeline was completed in 2021, but it was not put into operation due to certification issues, and in September 2022, it was blown up. 

• The share of oil in Germany’s energy consumption remained quite high, even increasing slightly from 34.4% to 37.3%. 
• The share of hydropower changed very little and remained at a very low level, ranging from 1.5% to 1.7%. 

In 1965, solar, wind, and nuclear energy were not used in Germany, but in 2024: 

• The share of wind energy from 1965 to 2000 was small, at only 0.7% in 2000. Later, this share began to grow rapidly and reached 10.7% in 2024.
• The rapid growth in solar energy use began in 2005, when its share was around 0.1%, and reached 5.7% in 2024. 
• Nuclear energy began to be used in 1967, and in 2024, its use was completely stopped.  

Chart 3. Energy consumption structure by source, %, Germany, 1965-2024, Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

Chart 4 shows energy consumption in Germany by source, expressed in TWh [4] and its dynamics for the period 1965-2024. It complements the data in Chart 3, gives an idea of its enormous volume, and allows us to compare the country’s energy consumption with that of other countries. 

The peak period of oil-based energy use in Germany was 1971-1980, when it averaged 1.815 TWh per year. After that, its volume dropped sharply to 1,482 TWh in 1983. Although oil consumption continued to decline in subsequent years, in 2024 it remained at a fairly high level of 1,177 TWh.  

Chart 4. Energy consumption by source, TWh, Germany, 1965-2024, Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

Germany succeeded in significantly reducing its coal-based energy production: from 1,869 TWh in 1965 to 438 TWh in 2024. However, gas consumption in absolute terms is trending upward. While energy from gas amounted to 581 TWh in 1985, it reached 786 TWh in 2024. 

Germany is well known for its rapid growth in wind energy consumption. In 2024, wind energy was almost equal to other renewable energy sources. 

Energy consumption structure by source in France is shown in Chart 5. On the one hand, its structure is similar to that of Germany in that oil and gas play an important role in both countries. Oil accounted for 31.1% of consumption in France in 2024 and 37.3% in Germany, while gas accounted for 12.9% in France and 24.9% in Germany. On the other hand, nuclear energy ranks first in France with 37.4% and 0% in Germany, as the latter completely abandoned nuclear energy in 2024. 

Thus, the share of energy obtained from hydrocarbon sources is 46.1% in France and 76% in Germany.  

Chart 5. Energy consumption by source in France, %, 2024, Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

The structure of energy consumption by source in France for the period 1965-2024 is shown in Chart 6. 

Chart 6. Energy consumption structure by source, %, France, 1965-2024, Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025),  https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

Here, as in Germany, oil consumption also grew rapidly: from 47.6% in 1965 to 69.0% in 1973. As a result of the first and second oil crises, oil consumption in France fell sharply from 69.0% to 40.9% 1973 to 1985, after which the decline in oil consumption continued at a slower pace until 2020. However, after Nigeria lost about 20% of its uranium ore production following the 2022 revolution, which sharply reduced nuclear energy consumption, France dramatically increased its oil consumption.  

France achieved significant success in reducing coal usage from 1965 to 2024. It is worth noting that atmospheric pollution from coal combustion in the form of carbon dioxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and solid particles is approximately twice as high as that from oil combustion, and many times higher than that from gas combustion [5]. While coal accounted for 38.7% of France’s energy balance in 1965, it was only 2.0% in 2024.    

The share of nuclear energy in France’s energy balance increased dramatically, from 0.2% to 37.4% between 1965 and 2024. 

The share of hydropower accounted for approximately 5.4% of France’s energy balance between 2000 and 2024. 

Wind energy has been used in France since 1993, and solar energy since 1993 as well, but for a long time, their use was insignificant. The share of wind energy in the energy balance reached 1% in 2011, while solar energy’s share reached that level in 2018. In 2024, wind energy accounted for 4.6% of France’s energy balance, while solar energy accounted for 2.3%. 

Energy consumption volume by source in France is shown in Chart 7. 

Chart 7. Energy consumption by source, France, 1965-2024, Source:  Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

A comparative picture of the pace of energy transition policy implementation in Germany and France from 1965 to 2024 is presented in Charts 8 and 9. The data show that until 1994, the share of renewable energy in total energy consumption in France significantly exceeded that of Germany, primarily due to the large volume of hydropower in France. Hydropower accounted for about 7.8% of total energy consumption in France during those years, while in Germany it accounted for 1.3%. During the same period, renewable energy sources accounted for an average of 8.0% of total energy consumption in France, compared to only 1.4% in Germany. 

Chart 8. Energy consumption from renewable energy sources in Germany and France, % of total consumption, 1965-2024, Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

Since 1997, the share of renewable energy in Germany has grown rapidly. In 2005, it caught up with France, and since 2006, it surpassed it.

Between 2005 and 2024, renewable energy accounted for 24.0% of total energy consumption in Germany, while in France it was 16.5%.  

However, France chose to develop nuclear energy as its main policy for reducing dependence on hydrocarbon energy sources, which accelerated from 1978 and reached 35% in 1993 (Chart 9).

Chart 9. Nuclear energy consumption in Germany and France, % of total consumption, 1965-2024, Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025), https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review

Thereafter, the share of nuclear energy in France remained at a very high level, accounting for about one-third of total energy consumption.

Nuclear energy consumption in Germany had two main stages: the first was a period of growth from 1965 to 1999, and the second was a period of decline from 2000 to 2004, until the last nuclear power plant was shut down in 2024. Germany’s policy of reducing and then completely abandoning nuclear energy had several main reasons. 

The first was the anti-nuclear movement, which had been active in Germany since the 1970s. The intensity of this movement increased dramatically after the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (USSR) in 1986, when public fear of radiation and the risks associated with nuclear waste storage increased significantly.  

The second reason was the influence of the Green Movement, which gained powerful political influence after the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Alliance 90/ The Greens coalition came to power in Germany in 1998. In 2000, the coalition passed the Law on the Phased Abolition of Nuclear Energy, the first official step in the policy of abandoning nuclear energy. 

The third was the adoption of an energy transition policy: Germany decided to base its energy strategy on renewable energy sources (wind, sun, biomass). 

The policy of completely abandoning nuclear energy was finally confirmed in 2011 by the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. 

Key conclusions 

• Despite the rapid growth in the share of renewable energy sources, hydrocarbons accounted for 76.0% of Germany’s energy consumption in 2024, oil for 37.3% and gas for 24.9%. Oil and gas consumption in Germany showed an uptrend in 2022-2024. 
• The most significant source of energy consumption in France is nuclear power, which accounts for 37.4%. Oil remains a key and very important component of France’s energy consumption structure, accounting for 31.3%, while hydrocarbons as a whole account for 46.1%. In France, oil and gas consumption tended to decline in 2022-2024, while nuclear energy consumption is growing rapidly again after a sharp decline in 2022. 
• Europe’s energy resources are limited, and the country is heavily dependent on imports of these resources. Therefore, in the context of global restructuring and intensifying competition between geopolitical poles, a stable supply of energy resources is of strategic importance for Europe and its key countries, Germany and France. Furthermore, for Germany, this concerns hydrocarbon resources, and for France, nuclear fuel, in particular uranium. 
• China, India and Southeast Asian countries with their large and rapidly developing economies, have acquired an important role and significance in the struggle for energy resources. 
• This situation is one of the most important factors determining the policies of Germany and France in the international field. 
• Thus, it is important to consider the specific characteristics of Germany and France’s energy resources, which will be discussed in the next article. 

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[1] F. Bösch, "Energy Diplomacy: West Germany, the Soviet Union, and the Oil Crises of the 1970s"// Ural Historical Bulletin, N1 (50), 2016, p. 80-90.
[2] O. Skorokhodova, “Europe and the Energy Crisis of 1979-1989: Instructive Lessons” DOI:  
[3] Classification of energy sources: Fossil fuels: coal, oil, gas.
[4] 1 terawatt-hour equals 1,000,000,000 kilowatt-hours. For comparison, energy consumption amounted to 0.938 TWh in Armenia in 2024, while it amounted to 3195.44 TWh in Germany.  
[5] The amount of emissions from burning oil, gas and coal to produce 1 kWh of electricity. 

Coal is the most polluting energy source in the world. High emissions of CO₂, sulfur, and particulate matter seriously pollute the atmosphere and harm public health. 
Oil is cleaner than coal, but its extraction still releases significant amounts of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. 
Natural gas is the least polluting fossil fuel. CO₂ emissions from burning gas are almost half those from burning coal, and SO₂ and particulate emissions are virtually non-existent. On the other hand, methane leaks during production and transportation reduce its environmental effectiveness over time.