9% of global electricity is generated from Wind in 2025/2026

Wind generated around 2,760 TWh of electricity globally in the 12 months from July 2025 to June 2026, supplying nearly 9% of global electricity consumption. That is almost three times its 2016 output of 963 TWh, an increase of roughly 1,800 TWh over the decade. Its share of global electricity rose from 3.8% to 8.8%, gaining about five percentage points. This substantial expansion shows wind making an increasingly important contribution to clean electricity supply as electrification and AI increase the need for more low-carbon generation.

Leadership takes different forms across countries. People's Republic of China generated around 1,140 TWh—more than two-fifths of the global total—and recorded the largest five-year increase, adding almost 500 TWh. United States followed with nearly 480 TWh and an increase of 100 TWh, while India and Brazil added around 51 TWh and 38 TWh respectively. Germany stands out for combining substantial output, about 144 TWh, with a national electricity share above 30%. Denmark leads on electricity share at almost 59%, followed by Lithuania at around two-fifths, while Ireland and Uruguay obtain about a third of their electricity from wind. Finland and Sweden lead generation per person at around 3,900 and 3,700 kWh, ahead of Denmark. Among US states, Texas leads total wind generation with 134 TWh, but Iowa stands out with wind supplying 57% of its electricity and generation exceeding 13,400 kWh per person; Oklahoma also has a strong wind contribution, supplying around 45% of its electricity.

Wind’s growing contribution brings a clear climate advantage: its IPCC lifecycle carbon intensity is just 11 gCO2eq/kWh, compared with 820 gCO2eq/kWh for coal, 490 gCO2eq/kWh for gas and 650 gCO2eq/kWh for oil. These figures include lifecycle emissions, highlighting the substantial emissions reductions available when wind displaces fossil-fuel electricity. Nuclear and solar likewise provide low-carbon electricity, making all three valuable contributors to a cleaner electricity supply. Building on wind’s nearly threefold expansion over the past decade, further growth in wind alongside nuclear and solar can help meet rising electricity demand while reducing climate-changing emissions and fossil-fuel air pollution.