Key Stats

• Global renewable electricity generation rose 9.8% in 2024 to about 9,836 TWh.
• Renewables supplied 31.7% of global electricity generation in 2024, up from 30.0% in 2023.
• Global renewable power capacity reached 5.16 TW at the end of 2025, an increase of about 693 GW, or 15.5%, in one year.
• Renewables accounted for 49.5% of global installed electricity capacity in 2025, up from 46.5% a year earlier.
• China had about 2.26 TW of renewable capacity in 2025, equal to nearly 44% of the global total.

Note: The latest generation figures in the report are for 2024, while installed-capacity figures extend through the end of 2025.

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Global renewable electricity generation rose 9.8% in 2024, its fastest growth on record, according to new IRENA data in Renewable Energy Statistics 2026. Renewable output reached about 9,836 terawatt-hours, lifting renewables to 31.7% of global electricity generation.

That was up from 30.0% of worldwide electricity production in 2023. Non-renewable generation increased by just 1.4% over the same period, according to IRENA.

The figures show renewables expanding not only as installed infrastructure but also as a source of electricity actually produced around the world.

Renewables are approaching half of global power capacity

Global renewable power capacity reached 5,155 GW at the end of 2025, up from 4,462 GW a year earlier.

That represents an increase of roughly 693 GW, or 15.5%, in a single year.

Renewables consequently accounted for 49.5% of installed electricity capacity worldwide in 2025. Their share had been 46.5% in 2024 and 43.2% in 2023.

Capacity and generation measure different things, however. Installed capacity describes the maximum generating capability of power plants and other installations, while generation measures the electricity those facilities actually produced over a period.

The report’s latest generation data cover 2024, one year earlier than its capacity figures. Renewable generation’s 31.7% global share therefore should not be treated as directly equivalent to renewables’ 49.5% share of installed capacity in 2025.

China drove much of the capacity increase

China ended 2025 with about 2,258 GW of renewable power capacity, up from 1,818 GW in 2024.

The increase of roughly 440 GW means China alone accounted for about 63% of the net global increase in renewable capacity during the year. Its installed renewable fleet represented nearly 44% of the worldwide total.

Asia as a whole reached approximately 2,895 GW of renewable capacity in 2025, an increase of about 514 GW from the previous year. The region held roughly 56% of the world’s renewable capacity.

India’s renewable capacity increased from about 205 GW to 250 GW, a rise of roughly 46 GW.

Growth was also recorded outside Asia. Europe added about 77 GW of renewable capacity to reach 937 GW, while the United States added roughly 40 GW to reach 466 GW.

Why it matters

The two headline shares capture different stages of the electricity system’s shift toward renewable sources.

Renewables were responsible for almost half of global installed electricity capacity by the end of 2025, while they produced just under one-third of global electricity in the latest full generation year.

That distinction matters because a megawatt of installed capacity does not translate into the same amount of annual electricity across every technology. Capacity totals and generation totals therefore provide complementary rather than interchangeable measures of the power system.

The latest figures nevertheless show renewable energy increasing its share on both measures. Generation grew substantially faster than non-renewable output in 2024, while renewable capacity expanded by more than 690 GW in 2025.

How IRENA compiles the figures

IRENA says its renewable energy statistics draw on its own questionnaire, official national statistics, industry associations and other published sources.

For most countries and technologies, capacity represents the amount installed and connected at the end of the calendar year. The report presents capacity in megawatts and electricity generation in gigawatt-hours.

IRENA also distinguishes between figures classified as official, unofficial or estimated, meaning some country and technology totals may be revised as more complete data become available.

Pumped hydropower is included in total capacity in the report but excluded from total renewable electricity generation, another reason capacity and generation figures should be read separately.