Energy savings from efficiency improvements in past three decades: Estimates from 144 countries

Manisha Jain

Applied Energy, 2025, vol. 381, issue C, No S0306261924025133

Abstract: Globally, decarbonisation studies often focus on tracking energy and carbon intensity. However, estimates of the contribution of different factors, including energy efficiency, are usually limited to a few countries and mainly address final energy demand. This study estimates the energy savings from efficiency improvements in 144 countries, considering both the demand and supply sides of the energy sector. Using disaggregated energy data from IEA energy balances, it employs index decomposition analysis to calculate the contributions of fuel mix, economic structure, and efficiency improvements in changes in primary energy use from 1990 to 2020. The findings show that average annual energy savings due to efficiency improvements is about 1.3% of total primary energy consumption across the 144 countries during this period occurring primarily in final energy consumption. While the structure effect is significant at the country level, it is negligible globally. On the other hand, the fuel mix effect in final energy consumption is negligible at both country and global levels. This study provides annual estimates of these effects by fuel and sector, allowing for detailed national and regional analysis, which are useful for informing both policy decisions and future research.

Keywords: Avoided energy demand; Energy efficiency; Energy intensity; Decomposition analysis; Fuel mix; Structural changes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.125129

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