We’ve compiled 23 facts and statistics about natural gas and energy use in Asia.

Natural gas remains a key source of energy production for Asia, and the region relies on imports to provide safe and cost-effective energy as nation’s aim to reach climate targets.

 

Emissions Statistics

  1. Switching from coal to natural gas reduces emissions by an average of 50% in electricity production. [1]
    *Coal is used extensively in emerging Asia because it is an affordable, highly available and familiar source of energy security.
  2. LNG imported by South Korea, India, Taiwan, Japan, and China has an average emissions intensity of 507kg CO2e/MWh, compared to coal’s 1077kg CO2e/MWh. [2]
  3. According to Shell, replacing 20% of Asia’s coal-fired power with gas could avoid more than 680 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. [4]
  4. Global coal use hit record levels in 2022, 2023, and 2024, driven primarily by demand for electricity in Asia. [5]
  5. According to the International Energy Agency, coal was responsible for about 70% of the increase in global emissions due to energy combustion in 2023. [6]

Country Insights

Thailand

  1. Gas produces 67.93% of Thailand’s electricity. [7]
  2. Gas has supplied more than 60% of Thailand’s electricity since 2000, significantly reducing oil and coal use. [8]

Singapore

  1. Singapore generates 92% of its electricity from natural gas. [9]
  2. Almost all of Singapore’s natural gas is obtained via pipeline from Malaysia and Indonesia or imported as LNG. [10]

South Korea

  1. More than 80% of South Korea’s energy in 2023 came from fossil fuels. [11]
  2. 27.55% of South Korea’s electricity was generated from natural gas. [12]

China

  1. China accounts for about one-third of global COâ‚‚ emissions, with over 60% of its electricity coming from coal. [13]
  2. 3.25% of China’s electricity production comes from natural gas. [14]

India

  1. India’s energy consumption is forecast to nearly double by 2040. [15]
  2. Fossil fuels comprised 88% of India’s energy in 2023. [16]
  3. Gas accounts for 2.61% of India’s electricity production. [17]

Production

  1. LNG is created by cooling natural gas to -162°C, reducing its volume by about 1/600th, making it safer and more convenient to transport. [18]
  2. The U.S. is the world’s top natural gas producer and exported 1.8 Tcf of LNG in 2019. [19]
  3. US LNG is forecast to make up 33% of global supply by 2035. [20]

Demand

  1. LNG demand in Asia is projected to nearly double by 2050, driven by South and Southeast Asia. [21]
  2. Asia accounts for more than half of the world’s population and is projected to make up half of global GDP and energy demand by 2050. [22]
  3. If planned U.S. LNG export facilities are not built, Asia could use an additional 95 million tonnes of coal annually by 2035. [23]

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

  1. By 2050, carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Asia could sequester up to 3 gigatonnes of CO2 annually. [24]

 

Find Out More

More information about Natural Gas in Asia can be found in our Resource Hub. Country-specific information is accessible through Regional Energy Snapshots.

There’s also detailed information on Natural Gas, Natural Gas Production, Emissions and Fuels For The Energy Transition.

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