From August 2024 to July 2025, Pakistan's electricity consumption leaned heavily towards clean sources, with over 60% of its electricity generated from low-carbon technologies. Hydropower emerged as a significant contributor, providing around 26% of the electricity, while solar energy made a noteworthy contribution with roughly 19%. Nuclear energy also played a substantial role, accounting for around 14% of the total electricity generation. However, fossil fuels still featured prominently, making up close to 38% of the electricity mix, with gas and coal being the leading contributors, generating about 21% and 16% respectively. This diverse energy mix indicates Pakistan's ongoing efforts in balancing its electricity generation portfolio with a substantial influence of clean energy sources.
Is Electricity Growing in Pakistan?
In terms of electricity consumption per person, Pakistan experienced a decline. The latest data from 2025 shows electricity usage at 601 kWh per person compared to the previous record of 728 kWh per person in 2023. This represents a decrease of 127 kWh per person, which raises concerns about meeting the growing energy demands necessary for the continued development. On the contrary, low-carbon electricity generation has seen positive growth, reaching 376 kWh per person in 2025—a 38 kWh increase from the previous record in 2024. This highlights Pakistan's advancement in the realm of green energy, showing its capability to enhance low-carbon electricity production despite the overall consumption decline.
Suggestions
To boost low-carbon electricity generation, Pakistan could expand both nuclear and solar power, given their current substantial contributions. Pakistan can draw inspiration from countries like France and Slovakia, where nuclear energy effectively supplies more than half or nearly two-thirds of the electricity. These examples can guide strategies to enhance nuclear energy capabilities. Solar energy expansion can look towards Lebanon, where solar contributes a significant percentage of the electricity, showcasing the potential for solar development in ways that align with Pakistan's goals. By focusing on the growth in nuclear and solar generation, Pakistan can continue advancing its clean electricity footprint while reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and combating climate change effects.
History
Historically, Pakistan's journey in low-carbon electricity generation has seen notable phases of development and setbacks, especially in hydropower and nuclear energy. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, hydropower made a steady climb with intermittent declines, yet substantial increases in the early 2000s and later years improved its position in the energy mix. The nuclear energy sector saw a remarkable boost from 2017, particularly with significant advancements from 2021 and 2022. Solar energy, being a more recent addition, showed impressive gains in the last few years, especially with significant growth in 2024 and 2025. Despite temporary declines in nuclear energy in 2025, the focus remains on increasing both nuclear and solar electricity generation, ensuring progressive and sustainable growth in Pakistan's energy landscape.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.