Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in China
China: Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal was 2,310 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in China, 1971–2025
Source: Ember (2026); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
China recorded 2,310 terawatt-hours for electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in 2025. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 25.8% on the previous year and up 926.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in China peaked at 2,310 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 terawatt-hours, in 1971.
China ranks 1st of 212 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 solar and wind compared to coal in China, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1972 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1973 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1974 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1975 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1976 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1977 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1978 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1979 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1980 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1981 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1982 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1983 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1984 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1985 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1987 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1988 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1989 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1990 | 0.004 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1991 | 0.0111 terawatt-hours | +175.9% |
| 1992 | 0.1343 terawatt-hours | +1111.0% |
| 1993 | 0.2161 terawatt-hours | +60.9% |
| 1994 | 0.3888 terawatt-hours | +79.9% |
| 1995 | 0.6232 terawatt-hours | +60.3% |
| 1996 | 0.1029 terawatt-hours | -83.5% |
| 1997 | 0.209 terawatt-hours | +103.0% |
| 1998 | 0.3696 terawatt-hours | +76.8% |
| 1999 | 0.4907 terawatt-hours | +32.8% |
| 2000 | 0.61 terawatt-hours | +24.3% |
| 2001 | 0.75 terawatt-hours | +23.0% |
| 2002 | 0.89 terawatt-hours | +18.7% |
| 2003 | 1.06 terawatt-hours | +19.1% |
| 2004 | 1.36 terawatt-hours | +28.3% |
| 2005 | 2.03 terawatt-hours | +49.3% |
| 2006 | 3.8 terawatt-hours | +87.2% |
| 2007 | 5.59 terawatt-hours | +47.1% |
| 2008 | 13.25 terawatt-hours | +137.0% |
| 2009 | 27.89 terawatt-hours | +110.5% |
| 2010 | 50.1 terawatt-hours | +79.6% |
| 2011 | 76.71 terawatt-hours | +53.1% |
| 2012 | 106.64 terawatt-hours | +39.0% |
| 2013 | 146.63 terawatt-hours | +37.5% |
| 2014 | 183.27 terawatt-hours | +25.0% |
| 2015 | 225.07 terawatt-hours | +22.8% |
| 2016 | 307.39 terawatt-hours | +36.6% |
| 2017 | 422.4 terawatt-hours | +37.4% |
| 2018 | 542.7 terawatt-hours | +28.5% |
| 2019 | 629.3 terawatt-hours | +16.0% |
| 2020 | 727.6 terawatt-hours | +15.6% |
| 2021 | 982.8 terawatt-hours | +35.1% |
| 2022 | 1,190 terawatt-hours | +21.1% |
| 2023 | 1,470 terawatt-hours | +23.5% |
| 2024 | 1,836 terawatt-hours | +24.9% |
| 2025 | 2,310 terawatt-hours | +25.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 2,310 terawatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.65 terawatt-hours, 3554.5× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 2,310 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.12 terawatt-hours, 19253.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +1111.0% | 0.0111 terawatt-hours | 0.1343 terawatt-hours |
| 1991 | +175.9% | 0.004 terawatt-hours | 0.0111 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 9 |
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.255 terawatt-hours | 0.004 terawatt-hours | 0.6232 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.72 terawatt-hours | 0.61 terawatt-hours | 27.89 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 269.02 terawatt-hours | 50.1 terawatt-hours | 629.3 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,419 terawatt-hours | 727.6 terawatt-hours | 2,310 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More energy & mining data for China
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 2.15 % 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 20.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in China?
- Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in China was 2,310 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2,310 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1971.
- How does China rank for electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal?
- China ranks 1st out of 212 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 926.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.