The influence of GDP, population, and net export value on energy consumption

Based on the annual data from 1980 to 2014, the path analysis model was employed to investigate the influence of gross domestic product (GDP), total population (TP), and net export value (NEV) on total energy consumption (TEC) in China. The results showed that (1) GDP, influenced 59.73% of TEC, played the most important role to affect TEC. Meanwhile, 37.69% of TEC was directly determined by GDP, and 22.04% of TEC was indirectly influenced by GDP through TP and NEV. (2) TP was the secondary factor to affect TEC; 6.02% of TEC was directly determined by TP, and 15.20% of TEC was indirectly affected by TP. Moreover, 21.22% of TEC was associated with TP. (3) NEV had the least total effect and the least direct effect on TEC; 17.24% TEC was influenced by NEV. Among them, 3.58% of TEC was directly determined by NEV, and 13.66% of TEC was indirectly influenced by NEV.