<TABLE> <S> <C>


<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<LEGEND>
     This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from the
consolidated  balance sheet of MidAmerican  Energy Holdings  Company as of June
30, 1997, and the related  consolidated  statements of income and cash flows for
the six  months  ended June 30, 1997,  and is  qualified  in its entirety by
reference to such financial statements.
 </LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0001009526
<NAME>                        MIDAMERICAN ENERGY HOLDINGS COMPANY
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                 JAN-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                   JUN-30-1997
<BOOK-VALUE>                                   PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      2,605,548
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    612,279
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         340,831
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       386,543
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 190,504
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 4,135,705
<COMMON>                                       772,484
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      0
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            414,665
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 1,186,313
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          150,000
<PREFERRED>                                    31,765
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           1,109,531
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                             0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                      0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 146,185
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                  129,756
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                      0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                    0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                               0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 1,382,155
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  4,135,705
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      965,422
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           34,100<F1>
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     832,794
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     832,794
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        132,628
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                             18,424<F2>
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 151,052
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       58,428
<NET-INCOME>                                   58,524
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                    0
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  58,524
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       59,839
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      39,218
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         225,037
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0.59
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0.59
<FN>
<F1> Tag 37, Income Tax Expense, includes operating and nonoperating income
taxes and is excluded from total operating expenses in Tag 39 and on the 
Consolidated Statement of Income.
<F2> Tag 41 includes $174,000 of income from Discontinued  Operations,  net of
income taxes.
</FN>
        

</TABLE>