Global electricity generation reached a record 32,202 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025, capping a decade of steady growth as rising demand from industry, households, transport and digital infrastructure placed increasing pressure on power systems worldwide.
Data from the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2026 show that global electricity generation increased by approximately 7,876 TWh between 2015 and 2025, a rise of 32.4 per cent. The increase equates to average annual growth of about 2.8 per cent over the period.
Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share of that growth and further strengthened its position as the world’s leading electricity-producing region.
Generation in Asia Pacific increased by 60.3 per cent over the decade. By 2025, the region produced 52 per cent of the world’s electricity, up from 43 per cent a decade earlier.
The figures also show the scale of the region’s contribution to global growth. Nearly four out of every five additional terawatt-hours generated worldwide between 2015 and 2025 came from Asia Pacific.
China remained the main driver. According to the Energy Institute, the country’s electricity demand increased by more than five per cent in 2025, with the annual increase alone equivalent to Germany’s total electricity consumption. India also continued to expand its electricity system, supported by growing renewable capacity and rising demand.
North America remained the world’s second-largest electricity-producing region. Generation had a growth of 9.2 per cent.
The region’s output accelerated during the final years of the decade as electricity demand strengthened. One factor behind that increase has been the rapid expansion of data centres.
The Energy Institute estimates that data centres consumed 788 TWh of electricity globally in 2025, with the United States accounting for around 40 per cent of total consumption.
Continued growth in electric vehicles and broader electrification also contributed to higher power demand.
In Europe, electricity generation totalled 3,956 TWh in 2025, slightly below the 3,986 TWh recorded in 2015. Output remained broadly flat over the decade, with recent years influenced by weaker industrial activity, changing electricity demand and shifts in the region’s generation mix.
Although overall generation changed little, the composition of Europe’s electricity supply continued to evolve. The Energy Institute reported that renewable generation in Europe increased by seven per cent in 2025, while lower hydropower output and a slight decline in wind generation moderated overall growth.
The Middle East recorded one of the strongest increases outside Asia Pacific. Electricity generation rose by 41.3 per cent over the decade, increasing from 1,134 TWh in 2015 to 1,603 TWh in 2025.
Growing populations, industrial development, desalination and rising cooling demand have all supported higher electricity consumption across the region. Natural gas continues to dominate many power systems, although investment in utility-scale solar projects has accelerated in recent years.
Africa’s electricity generation from 2015 to 2025 had a gain of 25.3 per cent. Even with that growth, the continent accounted for only 3.1 per cent of global electricity generation last year, highlighting the gap that remains in electricity access and generation capacity.
South and Central America generated 1,528 TWh in 2025, up 17.6 per cent from 2015. Hydropower continues to play a central role across much of the region, while wind, solar and natural gas have expanded their contribution as countries diversify their electricity systems.
Generation across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) increased by 16.7 per cent during the decade to reach 1,564 TWh in 2025.
The global trend was interrupted only once during the period. Electricity generation declined by 0.4 per cent in 2020 as pandemic-related restrictions reduced commercial and industrial activity. Growth resumed the following year and continued through 2025, leaving global generation more than 5,100 TWh above 2020 levels.
The increase in electricity generation has coincided with significant changes in how power is produced.
According to the Energy Institute, renewable sources, including hydropower, overtook coal as the largest source of global electricity generation in 2025. Solar generation alone increased by about 30 per cent during the year, continuing its rapid expansion across major markets.
The International Energy Agency expects electricity demand to continue rising over the remainder of the decade. In its Electricity 2026 report, the agency forecasts average annual global electricity demand growth of 3.6 per cent between 2026 and 2030, compared with an average of 2.8 per cent over the previous decade.
Meeting that demand will require substantial investment across the electricity sector. The IEA estimates that annual investment in electricity grids will need to increase by around 50 per cent, from roughly US$400 billion today, by 2030 to support expanding generation, strengthen networks and improve system flexibility.
The agency also projects that renewable electricity generation will continue to grow rapidly, increasing by around 1,050 TWh each year through 2030.
Solar photovoltaic generation is expected to contribute more than 600 TWh of that annual increase, while renewables and nuclear together are forecast to supply half of global electricity generation by the end of the decade.
Natural gas is also expected to remain an important part of the global power mix. The IEA projects gas-fired electricity generation will continue expanding through 2030, supported by rising demand in markets such as the United States and by the replacement of oil-fired generation in parts of the Middle East.
The decade-long increase in electricity generation reflects more than population and economic growth. Electricity is taking on a larger role across transport, manufacturing, digital infrastructure and everyday life, while the technologies supplying that power continue to evolve.
With global demand expected to keep rising, the pace of investment in generation, transmission and grid infrastructure will play an increasingly important role in maintaining reliable electricity supplies.
