Kuwait ranked fifth worldwide in total energy consumption per capita in 2025, recording 377.5 gigajoules per person, according to the Statistical Review of World Energy 2026 issued by the Energy Institute.
The ranking was led by Iceland, at 744.9 gigajoules per capita, followed by Qatar at 717.3, Singapore at 627.8 and the United Arab Emirates at 463.2 gigajoules.
Kuwait’s position reflects the country’s energy-intensive economic structure, particularly the importance of its oil and gas sector and related industries, as well as strong domestic energy demand. The figures also highlight the prominent position of Gulf countries in global per-capita energy consumption.
The report cautions that high per-capita energy consumption should not be viewed simply as a measure of living standards or personal consumption. The indicator is also influenced by industrial activity, oil and gas production, refining and processing, energy-intensive industries, available energy sources and overall economic structure.
Gulf countries dominate the top rankings
After Kuwait, Trinidad and Tobago ranked sixth with 358.2 gigajoules per capita, while Saudi Arabia was seventh at 347.9 gigajoules. The United States ranked 10th, recording 270.2 gigajoules per capita, while Canada recorded 300.4 gigajoules.
The contrast with India was significant. India recorded 27 gigajoules per capita, placing it outside the world’s top 40. Despite its large economy and population, India’s energy consumption is distributed across a much larger population base, resulting in a considerably lower per-capita figure.
The data underline how population size, industrial activity, energy production and the structure of an economy can produce major differences in per-capita energy consumption between countries.
