The relevance of the paper is due to changes in the coal consumption structure of in the World. In recent years, countries in North America and Europe have significantly reduced their coal use. At the same time coal remains one of the main sources of primary energy in the World. In this regard, this paper is aimed at identifying prospects for Russian exporters. The leading approach to this problem study is the analysis of current World coal market indicators, which allows a comprehensive review of current market trends and prospects for its development. The paper presents the portion of energy resources in the structure of the World balance, the dynamics of World coal production, the structure of World coal production by regions of the World, the volume and structure of World coal consumption, forecasts of World coal consumption and coal exports from Russia. The paper has a practical value for companies working in the coal sector, for public and private investors.