The leading countries for installed renewable energy in 2023 were China, the United States, and Brazil. China was the leader in renewable energy installations, with a capacity of around 1,453 gigawatts. The U.S., in second place, had a capacity of around 388 gigawatts. Renewable energy is an important step in addressing climate change and mitigating the consequences of this phenomenon. Renewable energy capacity and productionRenewable power capacity is defined as the maximum generating capacity of installations that use renewable sources to generate electricity. The share of renewable energy over the world’s power production has increased in recent years, surpassing 30 percent in 2023. Renewable energy consumption varies from country to country. The leading countries for renewable energy consumption are China, the United States, and Brazil.Renewable energy sourcesThere are various sources of renewable energy used globally, including bioenergy, solar energy, hydropower, and wind energy, to name a few. Globally, China and Canada are the top two countries in terms of generating the most energy through hydropower. Regarding solar power, China, the United States, and Japan boast the highest installed capacities worldwide.

This table expresses the use of renewable energy as gross final consumption of energy. Figures are presented in an absolute way, as well as related to the total energy use in the Netherlands. The total gross final energy consumption in the Netherlands (the denominator used to calculate the percentage of renewable energy per ‘Energy sources and techniques’) can be found in the table as ‘Total, including non-renewables’ and Energy application ‘Total’. The gross final energy consumption for the energy applications ‘Electricity’ and ‘Heat’ are also available. With these figures the percentages of the different energy sources and applications can be calculated; these values are not available in this table. The gross final energy consumption for ‘Transport’ is not available because of the complexity to calculate this. More information on this can be found in the yearly publication ‘Hernieuwbare energie in Nederland’.

Renewable energy is energy from wind, hydro power, the sun, the earth, heat from outdoor air and biomass. This is energy from natural processes that is replenished constantly.

The figures are broken down into energy source/technique and into energy application (electricity, heat and transport).

This table focuses on the share of renewable energy according to the EU Renewable Energy Directive. Under this directive, countries can apply an administrative transfer by purchasing renewable energy from countries that have consumed more renewable energy than the agreed target. For 2020, the Netherlands has implemented such a transfer by purchasing renewable energy from Denmark. This transfer has been made visible in this table as a separate energy source/technique and two totals are included; a total with statistical transfer and a total without statistical transfer.

Figures for 2020 and before were calculated based on RED I; in accordance with Eurostat these figures will not be modified anymore. Inconsistencies with other tables undergoing updates may occur.

Data available from: 1990

Status of the figures: This table contains definite figures up to and including 2022 and figures of 2023 are revised provisional figures.

Changes as of January 2025 Renewable cooling has been added as Energy source and technique from 2021 onwards, in accordance with RED II. Figures for 2020 and earlier follow RED I definitions, renewable cooling isn’t a part of these definitions.
The energy application “Heat” has been renamed to “Heating and cooling”, in accordance with RED II definitions. RED II is the current Renewable Energy Directive which entered into force in 2021

Changes as of November 15th 2024 Figures for 2021-2023 have been adjusted. 2022 is now definitive, 2023 stays revised provisional. Because of new insights for windmills regarding own electricity use and capacity, figures on 2021 have been revised.

Changes as of March 2024: Figures of the total energy applications of biogas, co-digestion of manure and other biogas have been restored for 2021 and 2022. The final energy consumption of non-compliant biogas (according to RED II) was wrongly included in the total final consumption of these types of biogas. Figures of total biogas, total biomass and total renewable energy were not influenced by this and therefore not adjusted.

When will new figures be published? Provisional figures on the gross final consumption of renewable energy in broad outlines for the previous year are published each year in June. Revised provisional figures for the previous year appear each year in June.

In November all figures on the consumption of renewable energy in the previous year will be published. These figures remain revised provisional, definite figures appear in November two years after the reporting year. Most important (expected) changes between revised provisional figures in November and definite figures a year later are the figures on solar photovoltaic energy. The figures on the share of total energy consumption in the Netherlands could also still be changed by the availability of adjusted figures on total energy consumption.

In 2021, Austria was the country with the largest share of renewables in final electricity consumption within the European Union, with more than 76 percent. Sweden followed, with a share of 75.7 percent. In contrast, Malta ranked last within the EU, with renewables accounting for less than 10 percent of final electricity consumption in the country that year.

Germany led Europe in renewable energy consumption, with 2.78 exajoules consumed in 2023, up from 2.03 exajoules in 2015. France and Norway followed as the second and third largest consumers, highlighting a broader trend of increased renewable energy use across the continent. Renewable energy production and capacity Germany's dominance in renewable energy consumption is mirrored in its production and capacity figures. In 2023, Germany's renewable energy production amounted to approximately 272 terawatt-hours, far surpassing other European nations. The country also boasted the largest installed renewable energy capacity in Europe, with almost 167 gigawatts as of 2023. This substantial capacity allows Germany to meet its high renewable energy consumption needs and contributes to its leadership in the sector. European renewable energy landscape The broader European renewable energy landscape shows a promising growth. Total renewable energy consumption in Europe reached about 18 exajoules in 2023, marking a nine percent increase from the previous year. Wind power has emerged as the primary renewable source in the European Union's electricity mix since 2017, accounting for over 39 percent of the EU's renewable mix in 2023.

As of February 2025, several countries across the European Union had established ambitious renewable power targets. Estonia and Sweden plan to achieve a 100 percent renewable electricity generation by 2030. In contrast, Poland's renewable targets for that year were just over 50 percent. According to the EU Renewable Energy Directive, countries in the European Union must reach a share of at least 42.5 percent of renewables in their total energy consumption, although the directive encourages to aim for 45 percent. Renewable energy pipeline in Europe The further deployment of renewable technologies in the region is essential to achieve these targets. As of February 2025, prospective wind energy projects in Europe’s renewable pipeline amounted to more than 645 gigawatts, although from this, only 22 megawatts were already in the construction stage. Northern Europe accounted for most of the wind energy planned capacity in the region. Regarding solar, Europe had a utility-scale prospective capacity of 255 gigawatts, with Southern Europe accounting for most of planned installations.
Europe’s wind and solar outlook In the next years, wind and solar installations are forecast to more than double in the European Union. It is estimated that in 2030, the region’s solar capacity will amount to some 625 gigawatts, growing from the 257 gigawatts operating at the end of 2023. For wind, forecasts point to an installed capacity of roughly 400 gigawatts by 2030. Approximately 20 percent of this capacity will correspond to offshore installations.

In 2023, renewable sources accounted for 22.7 percent of the electricity generated in the United States. The share of renewables in the country's electricity generation has been continually increasing for nearly a decade. In addition, renewables accounted for over 70 percent of the power capacity additions in the U.S. in 2023. Renewable energy sources in the U.S. Wind power was the leading renewable energy source in the country, accounting for over 10 percent of the total electricity supply in the U.S., followed by hydropower. Renewable energy generation in the U.S. amounted to 894 terawatt-hours in 2023. The growth of renewables in the U.S. According to a recent forecast, the renewable electricity capacity in the U.S. is projected to triple between 2022 and 2040 in a reference scenario, although this figure could be higher in the case of low renewable cost. In 2023, onshore wind and solar photovoltaic energy had some of the lowest levelized cost of electricity in the country.

Renewable electricity is the share of electrity generated by renewable power plants in total electricity generated by all types of plants.

This dataset is about countries in Czech Republic per year, featuring 4 columns: country, date, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments, and renewable energy consumption. The preview is ordered by date (descending).

In 2023, China’s consumption of renewable energy was the highest in the world, accounting for 30.6 percent of global renewable consumption. Likewise, this country had the highest consumption of primary energy from both renewable and non-renewable sources. Primary energy refers to energy that is derived directly from natural sources. The United States had the second highest share of global renewables consumption that year. Alternatives to fossil fuels in China Despite China accounting for such a large portion of global renewable consumption, the use of renewables is a relatively recent development for the country and still far less common than other traditional sources of primary energy. However, consumption of renewables has been higher than other alternatives to fossil fuels such as nuclear power. Both renewables and nuclear energy have seen significant increases in consumption in the last few years. The renewables market in Germany For a country of its size, with a fraction of the population and energy demands of China and the United States, Germany has seen a strong trend in increased renewable energy consumption. Germany has been a forerunner in the industry, with wind power coming into an increasingly important role. Total installed wind power capacity in Germany has almost tripled since 2008 and continues to rise consistently over recent years.

Goal 7Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for allTarget 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy servicesIndicator 7.1.1: Proportion of population with access to electricityEG_ACS_ELEC: Proportion of population with access to electricity, by urban/rural (%)Indicator 7.1.2: Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technologyEG_EGY_CLEAN: Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology (%)Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mixIndicator 7.2.1: Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumptionEG_FEC_RNEW: Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption (%)Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiencyIndicator 7.3.1: Energy intensity measured in terms of primary energy and GDPEG_EGY_PRIM: Energy intensity level of primary energy (megajoules per constant 2011 purchasing power parity GDP)Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technologyIndicator 7.a.1: International financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy research and development and renewable energy production, including in hybrid systemsEG_IFF_RANDN: International financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy research and development and renewable energy production, including in hybrid systems (millions of constant United States dollars)Target 7.b: By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of supportIndicator 7.b.1: Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing countries (in watts per capita)EG_EGY_RNEW: Installed renewable electricity-generating capacity (watts per capita)

The overall share of renewables in the European Union's final energy consumption reached 24.6 percent in 2023. Sweden was the country with the largest share of renewables with over 66 percent of energy consumption covered by renewables that year. According to the 2030 renewable energy targets of the region, EU member states must reach a renewable consumption share of at least 42.5 percent by 2030.

As of 2023, Iran boasted the largest renewable energy production capacity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Iran produced nearly twice as many megawatts as Egypt, and almost four times that of Morocco, the countries with the next highest capacities in the region. Among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the United Arab Emirates led with the highest installed renewable energy capacity, ranking fourth in the MENA region with approximately three gigawatts. Investments in renewable energy The MENA region has been increasingly turning to renewable energy to meet its energy needs. Over the past decade, countries in the GCC and North Africa have invested heavily in renewable energy, with Saudi Arabia and Egypt scoring the highest value of renewable energy project contracts. This shift may be driven by the need to address gaps in current energy supplies and reduce dependence on fossil fuels by adopting more sustainable energy sources. The GCC is home to the top four valued renewable energy projects currently under execution in the MENA region. However, it is primarily the North African countries that currently account for the largest share of energy investments directed towards renewable energy in the region. Saudi Arabia Vision 2023 Renewable energy is one of the key areas of focus for Saudi Arabia as part of its Vision 2030 project, which aims to diversify the country’s economy and wean it off oil dependency. Saudi Arabia has some of the most ambitious renewable energy production targets in the MENA region, followed closely by countries in North Africa. The country is currently undertaking the construction of a mega project known as NEOM, a brand-new city to be built in the middle of the desert, estimated to cost well over 500 billion U.S. dollars. Initially, the city is expected to be powered by 50 percent renewable energy before switching solely to renewable and green energy by 2030.

The average for 2021 based on 12 countries was 29.16 percent. The highest value was in Paraguay: 58.8 percent and the lowest value was in Argentina: 9.2 percent. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This scatter chart displays proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) against renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) and is filtered where the country is Burkina Faso. The data is about countries per year.

This scatter chart displays renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) against proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) and is filtered where the country is The Gambia and the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

This scatter chart displays renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) against proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) and is filtered where the country is Pakistan. The data is about countries per year.

This statistic shows the investment in renewable energy as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide in 2015, broken down by select country. In that year, the United States invested only 0.2 percent of its GDP in renewable energy.

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.

This scatter chart displays renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) against proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) and is filtered where the country is Lebanon. The data is about countries per year.

In 2023, Brazil was the leading Latin American country in terms of installed renewable energy capacity in the region, with nearly 194.1 gigawatts. Brazil's installed energy capacity represented approximately 55 percent of the region's renewable energy capacity in 2021. Mexico trailed in second, with a capacity of 33.5 gigawatts.