From 2013 to 2023, coal consumption in the manufacture of paper and paper products in China has showed a steady decline, reducing from 5.3 to 3.45 Ten Million Metric Tons. The year-on-year variation continues to show negative trends, with the largest drops seen in 2018 and 2020.

In 2021, there was a slight increase of 1.15%, but the overall trend remained downward. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the last five years was -4.2%. This indicates a sustained decrease in reliance on coal for paper manufacturing.

Looking forward, future trends to monitor include:

Continued reduction in coal consumption driven by regulations and sustainability initiatives.
Potential adoption of cleaner energy alternatives in the manufacturing process.
Technological advancements that could further decrease the industry's coal dependency.