Fossil fuels remain the greatest source of electricity generation worldwide. In 2023, coal accounted for roughly 35.5 percent of the global power mix, while natural gas followed with a 23 percent share. China, India, and the United States accounted for the largest share of coal used for electricity generation. The future of renewable energy Fossil fuel use notwithstanding, the share of renewables in global electricity has seen a more pronounced year-on-year growth in recent years, following increased efforts by governments to combat global warming and a decrease in levelized costs. Projections indicate that renewables will surpass fossil fuels as the main power source by 2040. Electricity consumption in the world China is the largest electricity consumer in the world, requiring more than 8,000 terawatt-hours of electricity every year. However, this economic power accounts for the largest population in the world and its electricity consumption per capita is almost tenfold smaller than the consumption of Iceland, although the power used in this country came almost completely from clean sources.

Coal has been the main source of electricity generation worldwide for the last three decades. In 2023, global coal power generation stood at almost 10,500 terawatt-hours. Overall, coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels accounted for approximately 60 percent of the global electricity production that year. Renewable energy sources of electricity generation The production of renewable energy has been increasing steadily over the past decades, with solar and wind energy showing the largest year-over-year growth between 2022 and 2023. However, the contribution of renewables to the world’s electric power mix remains small when compared to fossil fuel sources. Electricity demand vs production The volume of electricity generated worldwide surpassed the global consumption of electricity by a small margin. This figure is directly affected by the fact that the number of people without access to electricity in the world has shrunk over the past decade and is continuously decreasing.

It is projected that electricity generated worldwide will increase by nearly 50 percent in the coming three decades, to reach some 42 thousand terawatt-hours by 2050. That year, renewables are expected to be the largest source of global electricity, accounting for some 50 percent of electric power produced.

The boom of renewables

Electricity generation from renewable sources is expected to experience the largest growth in the displayed period, almost tripling between 2022 and 2050. The past decade saw the beginning of a boom in global installed renewable capacity, which recently surpassed three terawatts. In 2021, Asia was the region with the largest renewable electricity production, at 3.4 petawatt-hours.

Electricity from fossil fuels

Conventional sources like coal are increasingly being replaced. After peaking at more than 68 percent in 2007, the fossil fuel share in the global power generation has decreased steadily ever since. However, in 2022, coal was still the largest source of electricity generation worldwide, with a share of 34 percent.

Global electricity generation has increased significantly over the past three decades, rising from less than 12,000 terawatt-hours in 1990 to almost 30,000 terawatt-hours in 2023. During this period, electricity generation worldwide only registered an annual decline twice: in 2009, following the global financial crisis, and in 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Sources of electricity generation The share of global electricity generated from clean energy sources –including renewables and nuclear power- amounted to almost 40 percent in 2023, up from approximately 32 percent at the beginning of the decade. Despite this growth, fossil fuels are still the main source of electricity generation worldwide. In 2023, almost 60 percent of the electricity was produced by coal and natural gas-fired plants. Regional differences Water, wind, and sun contribute to making Latin America and the Caribbean the region with the largest share of renewable electricity generated in the world. By comparison, several European countries rely on nuclear energy. However, the main electricity sources in the United States and China, the leading economic powers of the world, are respectively natural gas and coal.

In recent years scrutiny over the environmental impact of more traditional energy sources has seen huge growth in renewables. The share of energy from renewable sources used in global energy generation has been rising annually, reaching roughly 30 percent in 2023. Increasing capacity and production As renewable shares continue to grow, so does the installed capacity. Since 2010 the cumulative renewable energy capacity has risen from 1.2 terawatts to 3.9 terawatts in 2023. Renewable electricity production has also increased significantly, rising to 7.9 petawatts hour in 2021. Despite this impressive and steady growth, the consumption of renewable energy still pales in comparison when compared to fossil fuel consumption. Consumption on the rise In the past two decades, global consumption of renewables has risen exponentially from just 2.6 exajoules in 2000, to over 45 exajoules in 2022. Globally, both China and the United States are the leading consumers of renewable energy, with a combined consumption of 21.7 exajoules.

The fossil fuel share in worldwide electricity production amounted to 60.7 percent in 2023. This was a decrease compared to the previous year, with figures having ranged between 62 and 68 percent in the past 22 years. Fossil fuels remain the main contributor to the energy mix, with coal power generation share standing at 36 percent.

Solar energy accounted for roughly 5.5 percent of electricity generation worldwide in 2023, up from a 4.6 percent share a year earlier. That year, wind and solar generated nearly 12 percent of global electricity.

In 2022, electricity generation from renewables worldwide had a combined power capacity of over 3.3 terawatts. However, this was still significantly lower than the capacity of all fossil-based energy sources, which stood at 4.57 terawatts. Coal is still the greatest source for electricity generation worldwide, followed by natural gas. Renewable energy is growing Despite the continued dominance of fossil fuels, the installed capacity of renewables worldwide has more than doubled in the past decade. The cost of renewables' deployment has fallen over time, making them increasingly more cost-effective and common around the world. Combined with the growing pressure to transition towards low-emission sources, renewable technologies are gradually replacing conventional fossil fuels. When will renewables surpass fossil fuels? Renewable energy capacity is forecast to grow by over 350 gigawatts per year in the next decades, while coal use will be reduced. As a consequence, global renewable electricity generation is projected to surpass that of fossil fuels by 2040.

Wind energy sources accounted for nearly eight percent of electricity generation worldwide in 2023, up from a 7.3 percent share a year earlier. This was over double the share compared to 2015 values, the year Paris Agreement was adopted.

The share of nuclear power in global electricity generation stood at 9.2 percent in 2023. In a scenario in which countries pursue policies of nuclear power expansion, the share of nuclear power in the global power mix is forecast to surpass 12.5 percent by 2040. On the contrary, in a scenario where no policies for the expansion of nuclear power are implemented, the nuclear share of electricity generation would decrease by around 25 percent between 2023 and 2050.

As of 2023, China was the largest producer of electricity globally by a significant margin with over 9.4 petawatt-hours generated, followed by the United States with 4.5 petawatt-hours. Both countries generated a considerable amount more than the next highest producer, India, where almost two petawatt-hours were produced. Coal and natural gas remain the primary sources of energy worldwide, maintaining a high global reliance on fossil-based fuels. For instance, natural gas was the largest source of electricity generation in the U.S. in 2023, followed by renewables.

Global expansion of electricity networks Energy networks have been undergoing expansion and modernization to tackle challenges such as the climate crisis and a growing global population through electrification. As a result of this, there has been significant growth in electricity access, with almost 100 million more people gaining access to energy networks worldwide in 2022, of which 44 million were in Central and Southern Asia. With increased electricity access, electricity production increases will become increasingly necessary.

Transitioning towards renewables Use of both coal and renewable electricity has grown worldwide, particularly in the European Union and China, where the largest year-on-year change in coal and renewable generation was recorded in 2022, with renewable electricity growth outpacing coal. As part of its increase in power generation, China has the largest share of clean electricity capacity installed by country worldwide, amounting to approximately 1.27 terawatts.

In 2023, Luxembourg was the leading country in solar energy penetration, with solar power accounting for almost 24 percent of the country's electricity mix that year. Malta followed with a share of solar of more than 20 percent. On average, the share of electricity generation from solar energy worldwide was roughly 5.5 percent in 2023. In comparison with the previous year, figures increased by almost one percentage point. Solar energy generation worldwide In total, solar energy production reached 1.3 petawatt hours in 2022, increasing by some 30 percent when compared to the previous year. Solar energy production was the highest in China, which generated over 584 terawatt hours of solar power in 2023. The United States was the country with the second-highest solar energy production that year, with some 238 terawatt hours generated. China’s solar photovoltaic industry Aside for being the largest solar energy producer worldwide, China accounts for the largest production of solar energy components. In 2022, the country was responsible for almost 78 percent of the world's solar photovoltaic module production. Most of the largest solar component manufacturers worldwide are based in China. For instance, photovoltaic company LONGi was the leading solar ingot and wafer manufacturer worldwide, reaching a production output of 122 gigawatts in 2023.

Despite its small carbon footprint, the share of global electricity produced from nuclear power decreased steadily over the past years. In 2023, it amounted to less than 10 percent of the power mix of the world, down from a peak of almost 17 percent at the beginning of the 2000s.

Over 50 percent of the gross electricity generated in Germany in 2024 came from renewable sources, with wind power being the most prominent. However, the country is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels for domestic power production. In 2024, over 30 percent of gross electricity was generated using lignite and hard coal, considered the most polluting of energy sources. Natural gas contributed another 5.5 percent. Coal power plant pollution Coal plants are the biggest polluters in the European Union. Six out of the 10 most polluting coal-fired power plants in the EU were located in Germany in 2022. Germany's Neurath plant produced some 24 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent that year. Although the government had previously agreed to end its reliance on coal by the year 2030, this fossil fuel made a comeback in 2022 during the global energy crisis. Germany's move towards renewables Despite coal's continued contribution to the power mix, Germany's renewable electricity generation has increased by roughly 70 percent in one decade. Growth within the wind power sector has been especially notable. By 2022, onshore wind farms generated almost 100 terawatt-hours of electricity, while offshore farms produced an additional 25 terawatt-hours.

Global energy consumption is on an upward trajectory, with projections indicating a substantial increase from 637.8 quadrillion British thermal units in 2022 to 813.6 quadrillion British thermal units by 2050. This growth reflects the world's increasing energy needs, driven by population growth, economic development, and technological advancements. Shifting energy landscape While fossil fuels currently dominate the energy mix, accounting for nearly 70 percent of global primary energy demand in 2022, a significant shift is expected in the coming decades. Renewable energy sources are projected to play an increasingly important role, with electricity generation from renewables expected to almost triple between 2022 and 2050. This transition is crucial for addressing climate change concerns and reducing carbon emissions. Regional disparities and future outlook Energy consumption patterns vary significantly across regions and economic development levels. In 2022, emerging economies, including China, consumed almost 400 exajoules of energy, compared to about 200 exajoules in developed countries. China is expected to maintain its position as the world's largest energy consumer by 2050. As global energy demand continues to rise, the challenge lies in balancing economic growth with sustainable energy practices and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Clean energy sources accounted for over 39 percent of electricity generation worldwide in 2023, up from a 38.57 percent share a year earlier. However, the electricity generated from coal that year was still over 35 percent.

Kosovo has the highest share of coal in its power mix. In 2023, coal accounted for 88.21 percent of electricity production in the country. By comparison, China sourced 61 percent of its electricity from coal and also topped a ranking of coal-fired power generation worldwide by country.

Primary energy consumption is forecast to reach roughly 364 million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2045. Oil and gas are expected to maintain their dominant role in the global energy sector, with a contribution of approximately 110 and 90 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, respectively. Which country consumes the most energy? Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a general upward trend in the usage of primary energy. In 2023, approximately 620 exajoules of primary energy were consumed globally. China was the leading primary energy consumer in the world, consuming around 170.7 exajoules, while the United States came in second position.
Fossil fuels' ongoing dependence Global primary energy consumption is dominated by fossil fuels, despite a steady shift toward sustainable alternatives. Although the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix has been decreasing, renewable energy is still not sufficient to meet the current and future energy demand.

Coal accounted for 35.55 percent of worldwide electricity generation in 2023. This was down from 35.67 percent the previous year, with total coal-fired electricity generation having reached over 10,000 terawatt hours.

Global consumption of renewable energy has increased significantly over the last two decades. Consumption levels nearly reached 90.23 exajoules in 2023. This upward trend reflects the increasing adoption of clean energy technologies worldwide. However, despite its rapid growth, renewable energy consumption still remains far below that of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels still dominate energy landscape While renewable energy use has expanded, fossil fuels continue to dominate the global energy mix. Coal consumption reached 164 exajoules in 2023, marking its highest level to date. Oil consumption also hit a record high in 2023, exceeding 4.5 billion metric tons for the first time. Natural gas consumption has remained relatively stable in recent years, hovering around 4 trillion cubic m annually. These figures underscore the ongoing challenges in transitioning to a low-carbon energy system. Renewable energy investments The clean energy sector has experienced consistent growth over the past decade, with investments more than doubling from 263 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 to 619 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. China has emerged as the frontrunner in renewable energy investment, contributing 273 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. This substantial funding has helped propel the renewable energy industry forward.