The Annual Coal Report (ACR) provides annual data on U.S. coal production, number of mines, productive capacity, recoverable reserves, employment, productivity, consumption, stocks, and prices. All data for 2021 and previous years are final.

Highlights for 2021

• U.S. coal production increased 7.8% year over year to 577.4 million short tons (MMst).
• The total productive capacity of U.S. coal mines was 871 MMst, a decrease of 6.6% from the 2020 level.
• The average number of employees at U.S. coal mines decreased by 2,641 from the 2020 level to 39,518 employees.
• U.S. coal mining productivity, as measured by average production per employee hour, increased 9.5% from the 2020 level to 6.71 short tons per employee hour.
• U.S. coal consumption increased 14.5% from the 2020 level to 545.6 MMst. The electric power sector accounted for about 91.9% of the total U.S. coal consumed in 2021.
• The average sales price of bituminous coal was $61.68 per short ton, a 23.2% increase from the 2020 level. The average sales price of subbituminous coal was $14.18 per short ton, a 1.7% increase from the 2020 level. The average sales price of thermal coal increased by 3.7% from the 2020 level to $25.85 per short ton. The average sales price of metallurgical coal increased 37.4% from the 2020 level to $151.97 per short ton.
• Total U.S. coal stocks in 2021 ended the year at 131.8 MMst, 27.8% lower than at the same time in 2020. Electric power coal stocks decreased by 39.6 MMst to 92.3 MMst at the end of 2021.