Electricity generation from fossil fuels in India
India: Electricity generation from fossil fuels was 1,527 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1,527 terawatt-hours
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
3rd
of 214 countries
All-time high
1,578 terawatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
130.06 terawatt-hours
in 1985
Years of data
41
1985–2025
Electricity generation from fossil fuels in India, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for electricity generation from fossil fuels in India is 1,527 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and up 41.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from fossil fuels in India peaked at 1,578 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 130.06 terawatt-hours, in 1985.
India ranks 3rd of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from fossil fuels in India, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 130.06 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 145.09 terawatt-hours | +11.6% |
| 1987 | 169.39 terawatt-hours | +16.7% |
| 1988 | 180.61 terawatt-hours | +6.6% |
| 1989 | 205.06 terawatt-hours | +13.5% |
| 1990 | 214.9 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 240.92 terawatt-hours | +12.1% |
| 1992 | 260.48 terawatt-hours | +8.1% |
| 1993 | 284.87 terawatt-hours | +9.4% |
| 1994 | 302.24 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 342.55 terawatt-hours | +13.3% |
| 1996 | 364.11 terawatt-hours | +6.3% |
| 1997 | 386.89 terawatt-hours | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 407.7 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 449.25 terawatt-hours | +10.2% |
| 2000 | 475.35 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 2001 | 491.01 terawatt-hours | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 517.51 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 545.36 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 567.86 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 579.32 terawatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 599.24 terawatt-hours | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 636.68 terawatt-hours | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 674.27 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 728.56 terawatt-hours | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 771.78 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 828.16 terawatt-hours | +7.3% |
| 2012 | 893.45 terawatt-hours | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 924.93 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 1,025 terawatt-hours | +10.9% |
| 2015 | 1,081 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 1,156 terawatt-hours | +6.9% |
| 2017 | 1,199 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 1,277 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 1,274 terawatt-hours | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1,222 terawatt-hours | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 1,319 terawatt-hours | +8.0% |
| 2022 | 1,394 terawatt-hours | +5.7% |
| 2023 | 1,500 terawatt-hours | +7.6% |
| 2024 | 1,578 terawatt-hours | +5.2% |
| 2025 | 1,527 terawatt-hours | -3.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1,527 terawatt-hours is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.47 terawatt-hours, 618.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 1,527 terawatt-hours is above the median for South Asia, which is 3.71 terawatt-hours, 412.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 166.04 terawatt-hours | 130.06 terawatt-hours | 205.06 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 325.39 terawatt-hours | 214.9 terawatt-hours | 449.25 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 581.52 terawatt-hours | 475.35 terawatt-hours | 728.56 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,043 terawatt-hours | 771.78 terawatt-hours | 1,277 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,423 terawatt-hours | 1,222 terawatt-hours | 1,578 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
- 1 China 6,175 terawatt-hours compare
- 2 United States 2,576 terawatt-hours compare
- 4 Russia 767.16 terawatt-hours compare
- 5 Japan 693.04 terawatt-hours compare
- 6 Saudi Arabia 444.82 terawatt-hours compare
More energy & mining data for India
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 0.7224 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 31.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from fossil fuels in India?
- Electricity generation from fossil fuels in India was 1,527 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from fossil fuels recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 1,578 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from fossil fuels recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 130.06 terawatt-hours in 1985.
- How does India rank for electricity generation from fossil fuels?
- India ranks 3rd out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from fossil fuels rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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 generation from fossil fuels. 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
Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured in terawatt-hours.