• 370,000+ users in the past year
• 190+ countries and regions
• 5 languages
• Open data since 2020

Data cited by See all →

From July 2025 to June 2026, fossil fuels supplied about 57% of the world’s electricity, while low-carbon sources provided the remaining 43%. Coal alone accounted for almost a third of global electricity consumption, and gas supplied about a fifth. Among clean electricity sources, hydropower led with around 14%, followed by solar at 9%, wind at nearly 9%, and nuclear at almost 9%. Biofuels contributed about 2%. Fossil fuels therefore still dominate electricity supply, highlighting the importance of expanding low-carbon generation to reduce climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in The World?

Electricity consumption worldwide is growing on a per-person basis, reaching a new record of about 3,794 kWh per person in the latest 2026 figures. This is 58 kWh, or roughly 1.6%, above the previous record of 3,736 kWh in 2025. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a record, rising to 1,649 kWh per person—44 kWh, or about 2.7%, above its 2025 peak. These are encouraging gains: clean electricity generation per person is growing faster than overall electricity consumption per person. Continued expansion is essential to support electrification, rising living standards, and growing electricity demand from AI.

Suggestions

The world can accelerate clean electricity growth by learning from regions where nuclear, solar, and wind already provide substantial shares of electricity. France and Slovakia generate about two-thirds of their electricity from nuclear, demonstrating its potential to anchor a low-carbon electricity supply. South Carolina and New Hampshire each obtain more than half from nuclear as well. Solar provides 40% of electricity in North Macedonia, about 35% in Nevada, and almost a third in California, showing its considerable potential across different regions. Denmark generates nearly 60% of its electricity from wind, with Iowa and South Dakota also exceeding half. Countries should consider building or expanding nuclear and solar alongside other suitable clean sources, supported by investment in grids, storage, and efficient project delivery.

History

The historical figures show several major waves of low-carbon electricity growth. Nuclear generation rose by about 188 TWh in 1984 and 212 TWh in 1985, followed by another substantial increase of 291 TWh in 1990, when hydropower also grew by 377 TWh. Hydropower added another 196 TWh in 2010. Nuclear declines of about 174 TWh in 2011 and 186 TWh in 2022 were deeply disappointing setbacks for clean electricity progress, underscoring the importance of sustaining and expanding nuclear output. During the early 2020s, wind consistently added substantial generation, with annual increases ranging from roughly 171 to 265 TWh between 2020 and 2025. Solar growth accelerated dramatically, from 198 TWh in 2021 to 319 TWh in 2023, 468 TWh in 2024, and 627 TWh in 2025; the latest 2026 figure adds another 244 TWh. Alongside a 204 TWh hydropower increase in 2024, these gains demonstrate the growing scale of clean electricity expansion.