A statistical analysis of energy coefficients

Abstract

An often quoted indicator in international comparisons of how energy consumption increases with economic growth is the energy coefficient. We examine from a statistical viewpoint the basic properties of this indicator, its relationship with the energy-output ratio, and the effects of measuring it on a per capita basis. On a yearly basis the coefficient tends to be unstable. Several methods of deriving the trend, which provides an insight into the underlying energy-output relationship, are presented. The effectiveness of these methods is examined by applying them to the time-series data covering 1960-1986 for nine Asian countries. The paper concludes by reporting on the trends of the energy coefficients observed for these countries. © 1991.