Outside Asia, the Middle East experiences the fastest rate of increase, at over 2% per year. Primary energy demand in OECD countries grows by around 8% from 2009 to 2035. While the United States remains the second-largest energy consumer in the world in 2035, its total energy demand is only slightly higher than in 2009. From consuming less than half as much energy as the United States in 2000, it now consumes slightly more and, in the WEO-2011 New Policies Scenario, it is projected to consume nearly 70% more than the United States in 2035. Despite this, China’s per-capita energy consumption is still at less than half the level of the United States in 2035. Consequently, the global energy projections in the World Energy Outlook remain highly sensitive to the underlying assumptions for the key variables that drive energy demand in China, including prospects for economic growth, changes in economic structure, developments in energy and environmental policies, and the rate of urbanisation.