From April 2025 through March 2026, almost two-thirds of Pakistan’s electricity came from low-carbon sources, while just over a third came from fossil fuels. Solar and hydropower each supplied about a quarter of electricity, and nuclear contributed another 13%. Wind provided roughly 3%. Among fossil sources, gas accounted for about 19% and coal for 17%. Pakistan therefore already has a strong clean electricity foundation, with solar, hydropower and nuclear together supplying most of its electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in Pakistan?

The latest figures show a mixed picture for electricity growth in Pakistan. Electricity consumption in 2026 stood at about 660 kWh per person, roughly 67 kWh below the previous record of 728 kWh in 2023—a concerning shortfall of around 9%. Low-carbon electricity generation, however, reached a new high of about 424 kWh per person, around 14 kWh above the 2025 record. This clean electricity growth is encouraging, but it needs to accelerate alongside overall electricity availability to support electrification, economic development and emerging demand from AI.

Suggestions

Pakistan can build on its substantial existing nuclear and solar generation by expanding both technologies, supported by stronger transmission networks and electricity storage. France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity, and South Korea, where it supplies a quarter, offer useful examples of sustained nuclear deployment. For solar, North Macedonia’s 40% share and the US state of Nevada’s 35% demonstrate the potential for contributions beyond Pakistan’s already impressive solar share. Pakistan can also develop more wind generation, drawing lessons from Morocco, where wind supplies about 20% of electricity, and the US state of Texas, where it supplies 22%. Adapting these regions’ experience to local conditions could help Pakistan increase clean electricity supply while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and their climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

Pakistan’s low-carbon electricity history shows successive waves of expansion. Hydropower recorded annual gains of roughly 3 TWh in both 1992 and 1994, followed by a decline of about 3 TWh in 1999. During the 2000s, gains of around 3–5 TWh in 2002, 2003 and 2005 were followed by a roughly 3 TWh decline in 2007. Hydropower remained uneven in the 2010s: it rose by almost 4 TWh in 2010, fell in 2011 and 2017, surged by nearly 10 TWh in 2018, then fell by about 4 TWh in 2019. Nuclear added about 3 TWh in 2017 and delivered major gains of roughly 6 TWh in each of 2021 and 2022. Solar then became a powerful driver of growth, adding about 4 TWh in 2023, 9 TWh in 2024 and 18 TWh in 2025, followed by another 4 TWh in 2026. Alongside a hydropower gain of about 6 TWh in 2025, these increases mark an encouraging expansion of Pakistan’s clean electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Apr 2025 – Mar 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.