China vs Germany: Renewable electricity generation by source
China
1,135 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Germany
136.03 terawatt-hours
in 2025
China rank
1st
Germany rank
3rd
Renewable electricity generation by source over time
- China
- Germany
How they compare
China currently reports 1,135 terawatt-hours against 136.03 terawatt-hours in Germany, a difference of 998.97 terawatt-hours.
That makes China's figure about 8.3 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 40 shared years of data; in 1986 it was Germany ahead.
China ranks 1st and Germany ranks 3rd of 212 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Germany in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.0092 terawatt-hours | 0.0092 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 1990s | 0.2476 terawatt-hours | 1.96 terawatt-hours | 1.71 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 2000s | 5.63 terawatt-hours | 26.12 terawatt-hours | 20.49 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 2010s | 202.67 terawatt-hours | 75.34 terawatt-hours | 127.33 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2020s | 817.22 terawatt-hours | 131.54 terawatt-hours | 685.68 terawatt-hours | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher renewable electricity generation by source, China or Germany?
- China, at 1,135 terawatt-hours against 136.03 terawatt-hours in Germany as of 2025.
- What is the difference in renewable electricity generation by source between China and Germany?
- 998.97 terawatt-hours, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Germany?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1986 to 2025.
- How do China and Germany rank globally for renewable electricity generation by source?
- China ranks 1st and Germany ranks 3rd of 212 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Renewable electricity generation by source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.