China’s coal production today versus Britain’s in 1850

In the 1850s British coal production averaged 75 million tonnes per year, according to the book I am currently reading. This averages out to 3.4 tonnes per capita. Last year China produced 3.6 billion tonnes of coal, but that only works out at 2.7 tonnes per capita.

So, in terms of coal production China has not even reached levels Britain achieved 150 years ago. A sobering observation.