World energy demand growth slowed by emerging economies

World demand for energy again remained stubbornly flat in 1999, growing by only 0.2 per cent, well below the average increase for the past ten years of 0.9 per cent. If the significant fall in Chinese energy use is excluded, however, global consumption rose by 1.4 per cent. The weakness in growth was concentrated in the emerging and developing economies whose energy consumption fell by 2.3 per cent during the year, compared to 1.4 per cent growth in demand in the OECD area, according to the BP Amoco Statistical Review of World Energy 2000, published last month.