Commodity Origins

Natural gas vs Coal

Natural gas's biggest producer is United States (26%, 2025); Coal's is China (52%, 2025). The latest benchmark prices on file (September 2026) are $2.95/MMBtu for natural gas and $147.1/t for coal. Their monthly price moves have only weakly tracked each other over the 680 months compared (r = 0.16).

Natural gas compared with Coal
Natural gasCoal
CategoryEnergyEnergy
Top producerUnited States (26%, 2025)China (52%, 2025)
World production4,196 billion cubic metres9,053 million tonnes
Top exporterUnited States (18%, 2024)Australia (34%, 2024)
Latest price$2.95/MMBtu (September 2026)$147.1/t (September 2026)
12-month change-1%+38%

Price since January 1970, rebased to 100

Each price divided by its own January 1970 value and multiplied by 100, so the two can share one chart regardless of unit. Starts at January 1970 because that is the later of the two series' first published month.

Natural gas vs Coal monthly prices, index, Jan 1970 to Sep 2026Line chart of natural gas vs coal monthly prices in index from Jan 1970 to Sep 2026: Natural gas from 100 to 1,735, peaking at 7,953; Coal from 100 to 1,886, peaking at 5,523.02,0004,0006,0008,000197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025index
Natural gasCoal

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Production: FAOSTAT, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries or the Energy Institute Statistical Review, whichever each commodity page cites. Trade: CEPII BACI, primary HS line. Prices: World Bank Pink Sheet, monthly averages, not investment advice.