Electricity generation from fossil fuels in New Zealand
New Zealand: Electricity generation from fossil fuels was 4.97 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▼ Falling
Electricity generation from fossil fuels in New Zealand, 2000–2025
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 New Zealand is 4.97 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.4% on the previous year and down 42.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from fossil fuels in New Zealand peaked at 15.52 terawatt-hours in 2008 and was at its lowest, 4.45 terawatt-hours, in 2023.
That places New Zealand 89th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Electricity generation from fossil fuels in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.99 terawatt-hours | — |
| 2001 | 14.28 terawatt-hours | +29.9% |
| 2002 | 12.21 terawatt-hours | -14.5% |
| 2003 | 13.69 terawatt-hours | +12.1% |
| 2004 | 11.67 terawatt-hours | -14.8% |
| 2005 | 15.12 terawatt-hours | +29.6% |
| 2006 | 15.16 terawatt-hours | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 14.97 terawatt-hours | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 15.52 terawatt-hours | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 12.16 terawatt-hours | -21.6% |
| 2010 | 11.91 terawatt-hours | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 10.53 terawatt-hours | -11.6% |
| 2012 | 12.37 terawatt-hours | +17.5% |
| 2013 | 11.02 terawatt-hours | -10.9% |
| 2014 | 8.97 terawatt-hours | -18.6% |
| 2015 | 8.68 terawatt-hours | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 6.76 terawatt-hours | -22.1% |
| 2017 | 8.2 terawatt-hours | +21.3% |
| 2018 | 7.26 terawatt-hours | -11.5% |
| 2019 | 7.69 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 8.27 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 2021 | 7.96 terawatt-hours | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 5.65 terawatt-hours | -29.0% |
| 2023 | 4.45 terawatt-hours | -21.2% |
| 2024 | 6.17 terawatt-hours | +38.7% |
| 2025 | 4.97 terawatt-hours | -19.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.58 terawatt-hours | 10.99 terawatt-hours | 15.52 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.34 terawatt-hours | 6.76 terawatt-hours | 12.37 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.25 terawatt-hours | 4.45 terawatt-hours | 8.27 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More energy & mining data for New Zealand
- Fuel imports 12.0% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 2.1% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 3.2% (2025)
- Gas production 35.27 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 6,765 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 35.27 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 6,765 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 generation from fossil fuels in New Zealand?
- Electricity generation from fossil fuels in New Zealand was 4.97 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 15.52 terawatt-hours in 2008.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from fossil fuels recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.45 terawatt-hours in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for electricity generation from fossil fuels?
- New Zealand ranks 89th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from fossil fuels rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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 — 26 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.