Iran’s electricity consumption in the supplied 2025 data is overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels, which account for about 97% of the total. Gas supplies roughly three-quarters of electricity, while oil contributes just over a fifth. Low-carbon electricity accounts for only about 3.5%, entirely from hydropower in this dataset. This leaves substantial room to expand clean electricity and reduce the climate-changing emissions and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Iran?

The supplied figures do not show electricity growing in Iran. Electricity consumption in 2025 stands at about 1,170 kWh per person, compared with the 2024 record of roughly 4,250 kWh—a decline of around 3,100 kWh per person, or nearly three-quarters. Low-carbon electricity generation is also sharply below its historical peak: just 41 kWh per person, compared with 477 kWh in 2019, a fall of more than 90%. These are worrying setbacks for electrification and future electricity demand. However, the comparison should be checked to ensure that the 2025 figures cover the same reporting period as the earlier annual records.

Suggestions

Iran should prioritize expanding solar and nuclear electricity, complemented by wind and stronger electricity networks. Nearby Pakistan provides a particularly relevant example, generating about 24% of its electricity from solar and 13% from nuclear. The United Arab Emirates generates a fifth of its electricity from nuclear, while Armenia obtains almost a third, demonstrating the importance nuclear can have in regional electricity systems. France’s roughly two-thirds nuclear share offers another example of sustained, large-scale clean generation. For solar, Iran can also learn from Lebanon, where solar supplies almost a third of electricity, and the sunny US state of Nevada, where it supplies about 35%. Turkey’s wind share of around 12% offers a useful regional reference for developing suitable wind resources. Clear procurement arrangements, investment in transmission, and workforce development would help translate these examples into more low-carbon electricity.

History

Iran’s low-carbon electricity history shows meaningful growth repeatedly interrupted by large declines. Hydropower rose by 2.5 TWh in 1992, then fell by almost the same amount in 1994. Several gains of roughly 2–6 TWh followed during 2002–2006, before a severe 13 TWh decline in 2008; modest recovery continued in 2009–2011. Nuclear generation added about 3 TWh in 2013 and nearly 4 TWh in 2016, alongside another hydropower increase that year. Hydropower surged by 18 TWh in 2019, but lost about 11 TWh in 2020 and another 9 TWh in 2021. The simultaneous 2.8 TWh decline in nuclear generation in 2021 was a serious setback: losing valuable low-carbon output undermines progress toward a cleaner electricity supply. Nuclear’s 3 TWh rebound in 2022 was therefore welcome. Hydropower recovered by nearly 9 TWh in 2023, only to fall by 18 TWh in 2025, underscoring the need for sustained expansion across multiple clean electricity sources.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade