Canada - Electric power consumption (kWh per capita)

The value for Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) in Canada was 15,588 as of 2014. As the graph below shows, over the past 54 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 17,265 in 2004 and a minimum value of 5,605 in 1961.

Definition: Electric power consumption measures the production of power plants and combined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants.

Source: IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), subject to https://www.iea.org/t&c/termsandconditions/

See also:

Year Value
1960 5,631
1961 5,605
1962 5,791
1963 5,966
1964 6,469
1965 6,910
1966 7,359
1967 7,630
1968 8,030
1969 8,533
1970 8,962
1971 9,167
1972 9,804
1973 10,242
1974 10,805
1975 10,467
1976 11,076
1977 11,797
1978 12,269
1979 12,423
1980 12,804
1981 13,239
1982 12,981
1983 13,457
1984 14,343
1985 14,857
1986 15,363
1987 15,798
1988 16,389
1989 16,464
1990 16,167
1991 16,182
1992 16,164
1993 16,320
1994 16,388
1995 16,532
1996 16,607
1997 16,654
1998 16,436
1999 16,679
2000 17,037
2001 16,840
2002 16,961
2003 17,209
2004 17,265
2005 16,948
2006 16,508
2007 16,683
2008 16,377
2009 15,451
2010 15,270
2011 15,645
2012 15,337
2013 15,751
2014 15,588

Development Relevance: An economy's production and consumption of electricity are basic indicators of its size and level of development. Although a few countries export electric power, most production is for domestic consumption. Expanding the supply of electricity to meet the growing demand of increasingly urbanized and industrialized economies without incurring unacceptable social, economic, and environmental costs is one of the great challenges facing developing countries. Modern societies are becoming increasing dependent on reliable and secure electricity supplies to underpin economic growth and community prosperity. This reliance is set to grow as more efficient and less carbon intensive forms of power are developed and deployed to help decarbonize economies. Maintaining reliable and secure electricity services while seeking to rapidly decarbonize power systems is a key challenge for countries throughout the world. In developing economies growth in energy use is closely related to growth in the modern sectors - industry, motorized transport, and urban areas - but energy use also reflects climatic, geographic, and economic factors (such as the relative price of energy). Energy use has been growing rapidly in low- and middle-income economies, but high-income economies still use almost five times as much energy on a per capita basis. Governments in many countries are increasingly aware of the urgent need to make better use of the world's energy resources. Improved energy efficiency is often the most economic and readily available means of improving energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Limitations and Exceptions: Data on electric power production and consumption are collected from national energy agencies by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and adjusted by the IEA to meet international definitions. Data are reported as net consumption as opposed to gross consumption. Net consumption excludes the energy consumed by the generating units. For all countries except the United States, total electric power consumption is equal total net electricity generation plus electricity imports minus electricity exports minus electricity distribution losses. The IEA makes these estimates in consultation with national statistical offices, oil companies, electric utilities, and national energy experts. The IEA occasionally revises its time series to reflect political changes, and energy statistics undergo continual changes in coverage or methodology as more detailed energy accounts become available. Breaks in series are therefore unavoidable.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Electric power consumption per capita (kWh ) is the production of power plants and combined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants, divided by midyear population. Energy data are compiled by the International Energy Agency (IEA). IEA data for economies that are not members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are based on national energy data adjusted to conform to annual questionnaires completed by OECD member governments. Electricity consumption is equivalent to production less power plants' own use and transmission, distribution, and transformation losses less exports plus imports. It includes consumption by auxiliary stations, losses in transformers that are considered integral parts of those stations, and electricity produced by pumping installations. Where data are available, it covers electricity generated by primary sources of energy - coal, oil, gas, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, wind, tide and wave, and combustible renewables. Neither production nor consumption data capture the reliability of supplies, including breakdowns, load factors, and frequency of outages.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Restricted use: Please contact the International Energy Agency for third-party use of these data.

Classification

Topic: Environment Indicators

Sub-Topic: Energy production & use