- Coal Production refers to the total amount of coal extracted from surface and underground mines within a country during a given year. It is typically measured in million tonnes and represents the output of raw coal before processing or consumption.
North America Coal Production was 580.6 Million Tonnes in 2023, down 1.8% on 2022. The Coal Production dataset for North America provides annual coal production statistics from 2015 to 2023, offering a comprehensive overview of regional mining output, production trends, and developments across the coal sector. Measured in million tonnes, the dataset represents the combined coal production of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
North America Coal Production moved from 888.3 Million Tonnes in 2015 to 580.6 Million Tonnes in 2023 (−34.6%), an average of −5.2% a year. The series high was 888.3 Million Tonnes in 2015 and the low 539.6 Million Tonnes in 2020.
The gap between the series high (2015) and low (2020) is 348.7 Million Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was −23.3% in 2020.
Within North America, U.S. has the highest value in 2023 at 526.5 Million Tonnes, 90.7% of the regional total.
Country ranking
Million Tonnes. Sort by any column, or search for a country.
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By region
Million Tonnes, 2023. Each bar is that region's total.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Million Tonnes.
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| Year | Million Tonnes | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 580.6 | −1.8% |
| 2022 | 591.3 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 577 | +6.9% |
| 2020 Trough | 539.6 | −23.3% |
| 2019 | 703.7 | −6.5% |
| 2018 | 752.9 | −3% |
| 2017 | 776.2 | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 734.5 | −17.3% |
| 2015Peak | 888.3 | — |
Data definition
Coal Production — - Coal Production refers to the total amount of coal extracted from surface and underground mines within a country during a given year. It is typically measured in million tonnes and represents the output of raw coal before processing or consumption. The indicator includes the extraction of various coal types used for energy generation and industrial applications, reflecting a country's coal resource utilization, mining activity, and contribution to domestic and global coal supply. Coal Production is widely used to assess the performance of the mining sector, energy security, industrial development, and the availability of coal as a primary energy source.
The data includes the production of all major types of coal, including anthracite, bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal, lignite (brown coal), and other commercially recoverable coal grades, where reported under national energy statistics. It covers coal extracted from both surface (open-pit) and underground mining operations for use in electricity generation, steel production, cement manufacturing, industrial processes, and other commercial applications. Production from both public and private mining operations is included, regardless of whether the coal is consumed domestically or exported. Data is compiled using standardized international energy reporting methodologies based on national mining statistics and industry sources, enabling consistent comparison of coal production across countries and over time.
The data excludes coal consumption, coal imports and exports, coal reserves, coal stock changes, and coal used after processing into secondary energy products. It also excludes coal-derived products such as coke, coke oven gas, coal tar, coal bed methane, synthetic fuels produced through coal-to-liquids (CTL) technologies, and other processed coal products unless specifically included in the reporting methodology. The indicator does not measure mining productivity, coal quality, calorific value, environmental impacts, or greenhouse gas emissions associated with coal production or use. Minor differences may occur due to variations in national reporting standards, coal classifications, moisture adjustments, and statistical estimation methodologies across countries.
Coal Production — - Coal Production refers to the total amount of coal extracted from surface and underground mines within a country during a given year. It is typically measured in million tonnes and represents the output of raw coal before processing or consumption. The indicator includes the extraction of various coal types used for energy generation and industrial applications, reflecting a country's coal resource utilization, mining activity, and contribution to domestic and global coal supply. Coal Production is widely used to assess the performance of the mining sector, energy security, industrial development, and the availability of coal as a primary energy source.
It serves as an important indicator of regional mining activity, resource utilization, energy supply, and the contribution of coal to North America's industrial and power generation sectors.
North America produced 888.3 million tonnes of coal in 2015 before declining to 734.5 million tonnes in 2016. Production recovered to 776.2 million tonnes in 2017 but gradually decreased to 752.9 million tonnes in 2018 and 703.7 million tonnes in 2019. Output fell sharply to 539.6 million tonnes in 2020 due to weaker energy demand and pandemic-related disruptions before rebounding to 577.0 million tonnes in 2021 and 591.3 million tonnes in 2022. Regional production eased slightly to 580.6 million tonnes in 2023. Throughout the period, the United States remained the dominant producer, accounting for the vast majority of regional output, while Canada and Mexico contributed comparatively smaller but stable production volumes.
Overall, the dataset highlights a long-term decline in North American coal production despite short-term recoveries in selected years. The downward trend reflects the increasing adoption of natural gas and renewable energy, mine closures, stricter environmental regulations, and changing electricity generation patterns. Nevertheless, coal continues to support industrial applications and selected power generation markets across the region.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating North America's coal production outlook, assessing regional mining performance, and analyzing long-term supply trends. It supports market research, investment planning, infrastructure assessment, and policy development while providing valuable insights for researchers, industry stakeholders, analysts, and policymakers monitoring coal production, mining activity, resource management, and the evolving role of coal across North America's energy sector.
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Definition- Coal Production refers to the total amount of coal extracted from surface and underground mines within a country during a given year. It is typically measured in million tonnes and represents the output of raw coal before processing or consumption. The indicator includes the extraction of various coal types used for energy generation and industrial applications, reflecting a country's coal resource utilization, mining activity, and contribution to domestic and global coal supply. Coal Production is widely used to assess the performance of the mining sector, energy security, industrial development, and the availability of coal as a primary energy source.
North America Coal Production was 580.6 Million Tonnes in 2023, down 1.8% on 2022.
North America Coal Production moved from 888.3 Million Tonnes in 2015 to 580.6 Million Tonnes in 2023 (−34.6%), an average of −5.2% a year. The series high was 888.3 Million Tonnes in 2015 and the low 539.6 Million Tonnes in 2020.
The highest value was 888.3 Million Tonnes in 2015 and the lowest was 539.6 Million Tonnes in 2020.
Included: The data includes the production of all major types of coal, including anthracite, bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal, lignite (brown coal), and other commercially recoverable coal grades, where reported under national energy statistics. It covers coal extracted from both surface (open-pit) and underground mining operations for use in electricity generation, steel production, cement manufacturing, industrial processes, and other commercial applications. Production from both public and private mining operations is included, regardless of whether the coal is consumed domestically or exported. Data is compiled using standardized international energy reporting methodologies based on national mining statistics and industry sources, enabling consistent comparison of coal production across countries and over time. Excluded: The data excludes coal consumption, coal imports and exports, coal reserves, coal stock changes, and coal used after processing into secondary energy products. It also excludes coal-derived products such as coke, coke oven gas, coal tar, coal bed methane, synthetic fuels produced through coal-to-liquids (CTL) technologies, and other processed coal products unless specifically included in the reporting methodology. The indicator does not measure mining productivity, coal quality, calorific value, environmental impacts, or greenhouse gas emissions associated with coal production or use. Minor differences may occur due to variations in national reporting standards, coal classifications, moisture adjustments, and statistical estimation methodologies across countries.
The series is sourced from energyinst.org (https://www.energyinst.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1542714/684_EI_Stat_Review_V16_DIGITAL.pdf). It covers 2015–2023 and is reported in Million Tonnes.
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