Countries With Low Energy Productivity Are At Risk For Price Shocks

Energy productivity varies around the world. While the people of planet Earth generate $11.16 in GDP for every kilogram of oil equivalent of energy used worldwide, many countries achieve far lower energy productivity, generating GDP at less than one-third the global average rate.

The countries with the lowest energy productivity represent a mix of energy-rich exporters, heavy industrial economies, and developing nations with structural inefficiencies. In petrostates like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, vast reserves of cheap fossil fuels encourage wasteful consumption, driving down GDP per unit of energy. Industrial economies like Russia, China, and South Africa also rank low due to their dependence on energy-intensive sectors like manufacturing, heavy industry, and resource extraction. Meanwhile, developing countries — such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Haiti — struggle with outdated infrastructure and limited efficiency investments that reduce energy productivity. A closer look at the data reveals the countries with the lowest energy productivity.

To determine the countries with the lowest energy productivity, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on energy use and GDP from the World Bank. Countries were ranked based on GDP per unit of energy use — kilograms of oil equivalents consumed — in 2023. Supplemental data on annual energy use per capita, net energy imports as a share of total energy use, and fossil fuel energy consumption as a share of total are also from the World Bank.

40. Belarus

GDP per unit of energy use: $9.27 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 2,862.5 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 77.1% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 86.6% of total
Largest urban areas: Minsk, Homel, Vitebsk, Mahilyow, Hrodna, Brest, Babruysk, Baranovichi, Pinsk, Barysaw

39. Nepal

GDP per unit of energy use: $9.16 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 520.0 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 27.4% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 26.5% of total
Largest urban areas: Banepa, Beni, Birendranagar, Tamaghat, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Lubughat, Kusma, Chhinchu

38. Saudi Arabia

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.92 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 7,529.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -178.2% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 99.9% of total
Largest urban areas: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca, Medina, Hofuf, Khamis Mushait, Tabuk, At Taif, Al Khobar

37. Gabon

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.90 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 2,096.2 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -187.6% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 22.8% of total
Largest urban areas: Libreville, Port-Gentil, Point Denis, Lambarene, Oyem, Mbigou, Tchibanga, Mouila, Makokou, Koulamoutou

36. Ukraine

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.68 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 1,493.0 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 25.2% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 65.5% of total
Largest urban areas: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Lviv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv

35. Bosnia and Herzegovina

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.50 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 2,270.7 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 26.4% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 78.8% of total
Largest urban areas: Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Prijedor, Zenica, Tuzla, Doboj, Mostar, Teslić, Prnjavor

34. Tanzania

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.49 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 405.1 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 12.9% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 23.1% of total
Largest urban areas: Dar Es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Tanga, Zanzibar City, Dodoma, Kilima Hewa, Mbeya, Morogoro, Tabora

33. United Arab Emirates

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.26 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 8,335.8 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -171.5% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 92.7% of total
Largest urban areas: Dubai, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sas Al Nakhl, Umm Al Quwain, Kalba, Al Rams, Dibba Al-Hisn, Fujairah

32. Mongolia

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.10 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 1,890.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -226.4% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 94.7% of total
Largest urban areas: Ulaanbaatar, Ulaangom, Choibalsan, Khovd, Bayankhongor, Darkhan, Arvaikheer, Murun, Altai, í–lgii

31. Haiti

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.07 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 377.5 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: N/A
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 21.7% of total
Largest urban areas: Port-Au-Prince, Cap-Haitien, Mirebalais, Ouanaminthe, Anse-Rouge, Sarazin, Bois Neuf

30. Brunei Darussalam

GDP per unit of energy use: $8.01 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 9,537.1 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -172.6% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 100.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Lambak, Sengkurong, Bandar Seri Begawan, Kampong Lumut, Tagap, Kampong Telamba, Seria, Peramu

29. China

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.99 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 2,690.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 20.7% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 86.7% of total
Largest urban areas: Guangzhou, Shanghai, Jieyang, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Beijing, Wuhan, Suzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang

28. Zimbabwe

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.98 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 416.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 17.0% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 45.3% of total
Largest urban areas: Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Vanguard Mine, Gweru, Glenclova, Mutare, Zaka, Tchoda, Checheche

27. Burkina Faso

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.88 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 312.9 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: N/A
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 24.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, Tenkodogo, Ouahigouya, Yako, Dori, Nouna, Tougan, Kaya

26. Rwanda

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.75 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 373.0 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 10.6% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 11.6% of total
Largest urban areas: Kigali, Mukamira, Cyangugu, Musanze, Kora, Mukina, Muhanga, Shangi

25. Canada

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.75 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 7,418.4 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -87.2% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 76.8% of total
Largest urban areas: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Quebec, Calgary, Ottawa, London, Kitchener

24. Sudan

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.61 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 411.8 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 18.9% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 30.2% of total
Largest urban areas: Khartoum, Al Managil, Geneina, Wad MadanÄ«, Al-Ubayyid, Kosti, Al-Qadarif, Umm Ruwaba, Nyala, Dilling

23. Kosovo

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.50 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 1,219.3 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: N/A
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 86.1% of total
Largest urban areas: N/A

22. Ethiopia

GDP per unit of energy use: $7.03 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 377.9 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 10.8% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 9.7% of total
Largest urban areas: Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, Merawi, Kombolcha, Mota, Dessie, Jijiga, Hawassa, Kobo

21. South Africa

GDP per unit of energy use: $6.97 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 1,976.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -10.9% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 93.3% of total
Largest urban areas: Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Evaton, Klipgat, Phuthaditjhaba, Bloemfontein, Edendale

20. Uzbekistan

GDP per unit of energy use: $6.95 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 1,381.8 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 1.5% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 98.4% of total
Largest urban areas: Tashkent, Qarshi, Samarkand, Turtkul, Jizzax, Namangan, Fergana, Shahrisabz, Andijan, Termez

19. Russia

GDP per unit of energy use: $6.94 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 5,601.1 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -75.1% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 89.5% of total
Largest urban areas: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Rostov-On-Don, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan

18. Qatar

GDP per unit of energy use: $6.88 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 16,683.7 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -396.1% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 99.9% of total
Largest urban areas: Doha, Al Wakrah, Ras Laffan, Al Khor, Al Khor, Mesaieed, Dukhan, Al Dhakira, Al-Shahaniya

17. Marshall Islands

GDP per unit of energy use: $6.87 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 615.0 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: N/A
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 0.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Majuro

16. Oman

GDP per unit of energy use: $6.78 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 5,867.3 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -213.6% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 99.7% of total
Largest urban areas: Al Ghubra, Muscat, Salalah, Seeb, Sur, Ar Rustaq, Saham, Nizwa, Sohar, Sudh

15. Togo

GDP per unit of energy use: $6.26 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 425.4 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 18.0% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 16.9% of total
Largest urban areas: Lomé, Kara, Sokodé, Bassar, Niamtougou, Kpalimé, Blitta-Gare, Atakpamé, Dapaong, Sansanné-Mango

14. Uganda

GDP per unit of energy use: $5.64 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 482.8 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 20.5% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 8.7% of total
Largest urban areas: Kampala, Jinja, Moyo, Erepi, Arua, Mbarara, Iganga, Masaka, Lira, Odonga

13. Kuwait

GDP per unit of energy use: $5.63 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 9,129.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -283.1% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 99.9% of total
Largest urban areas: Kuwait City, Al Jahra, Jaber Al-Ahmad, Ahmadi, Sulaibiya, Az Zawr, Al Khiran, Ali Subah Al Salem

12. Bahrain

GDP per unit of energy use: $5.38 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 00.0 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -45.5% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 100.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Manama, Askar, Awali

11. Madagascar

GDP per unit of energy use: $5.19 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 308.7 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 13.7% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 14.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Antananarivo, Soaindrana, Sambaina, Manjakandriana, Imerintsiatosika, Anosibe An'Ala, Ambatolampy Tsimahafotsy

10. Curacao

GDP per unit of energy use: $4.78 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 5,775.0 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 236.1% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 97.9% of total
Largest urban areas: Willemstad

9. Iran

GDP per unit of energy use: $4.69 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 3,266.1 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -32.5% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 98.8% of total
Largest urban areas: Robat Karim, Tehran, Baft, Mehran, Bazargan, Qaleh Juq, Kaleybar, Sabzevar, Minudasht

8. Libya

GDP per unit of energy use: $4.51 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 2,539.2 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -249.7% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 96.3% of total
Largest urban areas: Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Qabilat Alturki, Al Zawiyah, Bayda, Tobruk, Marj, Ajdabiya, Sabha

7. Zambia

GDP per unit of energy use: $4.48 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 800.7 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 9.0% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 18.4% of total
Largest urban areas: Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola, Kasama, Kabwe, Chingola, Mufulira, Kapiri Mposhi, Monze

6. Iceland

GDP per unit of energy use: $4.23 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 15,892.4 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 20.5% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 10.3% of total
Largest urban areas: Reykjavik, Akureyri, Reykjanesbí¦r, Selfoss, Akranes

5. Mozambique

GDP per unit of energy use: $4.12 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 358.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -106.4% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 24.6% of total
Largest urban areas: Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Massinga, Quelimane, Chimoio, Nacala, Errego (Ile), Maganja

4. Palau

GDP per unit of energy use: $3.71 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 4,814.4 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: N/A
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 0.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Koror

3. Democratic Republic of Congo

GDP per unit of energy use: $3.54 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 390.9 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: 1.6% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 4.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Beni, Bukavu, Boma, Kikwit, Goma, Matadi, Mongbwalu, Bunia

2. Turkmenistan

GDP per unit of energy use: $3.04 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 5,625.6 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -109.8% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 100.0% of total
Largest urban areas: Ashgabat, Mary, Balkanabat, Konye-Urgench, GaradaÅŸaí½ak, Turkmenbashy, Turkmenabat, Gurbansoltan Eje, Dashoguz, Serdar

1. Trinidad and Tobago

GDP per unit of energy use: $2.79 per kg of oil equivalent
Annual energy use per capita: 11,038.4 kg of oil equivalent per resident
Net energy imports as share of total: -75.5% of energy use
Fossil fuel energy consumption: 99.9% of total
Largest urban areas: Port Of Spain, San Fernando, Arima, Debe, Chaguanas, Couva, Sangre Grande, Scarborough, Point Fortin, Princes Town