Electricity as a share of primary energy in Ireland
Ireland: Electricity as a share of primary energy was 19.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Electricity as a share of primary energy in Ireland, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity as a share of primary energy in Ireland stood at 19.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity as a share of primary energy in Ireland peaked at 20.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 1986.
Ireland ranks 25th of 79 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Electricity as a share of primary energy in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 12.3% | — |
| 1986 | 12.0% | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 12.2% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 12.4% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 12.6% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 12.2% | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 12.5% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 13.3% | +6.3% |
| 1993 | 13.2% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 13.2% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 13.5% | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 13.8% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 13.6% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 13.6% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 13.4% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 13.7% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 13.6% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 13.9% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 14.1% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 14.1% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 13.5% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 14.2% | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 14.8% | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 15.6% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 16.3% | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 16.9% | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 17.1% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 16.4% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 17.4% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 17.8% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 18.2% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 18.1% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 18.2% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 20.6% | +13.3% |
| 2021 | 19.6% | -5.3% |
| 2022 | 20.3% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 19.9% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 19.4% | -2.2% |
| 2025 | 19.6% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.3% | 12.0% | 12.6% | 5 |
| 1990s | 13.2% | 12.2% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.4% | 13.5% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.3% | 16.0% | 18.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.9% | 19.4% | 20.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More energy & mining data for Ireland
- Fuel imports 6.2% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 1.0% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 0.6% (2024)
- Gas production 11.53 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 2,195 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 11.53 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 2,195 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity as a share of primary energy in Ireland?
- Electricity as a share of primary energy in Ireland was 19.6% in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity as a share of primary energy recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 20.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest electricity as a share of primary energy recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 1986.
- How does Ireland rank for electricity as a share of primary energy?
- Ireland ranks 25th out of 79 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity as a share of primary energy rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity as a share of primary energy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.