Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal was 105.16 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
105.16 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 7.2%
World rank
8th
of 212 countries
All-time high
105.16 terawatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
0 terawatt-hours
in 1920
Years of data
106
1920–2025
Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in United Kingdom, 1920–2025
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
In 2025, electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in United Kingdom stood at 105.16 terawatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 106 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.2% on the previous year and up 120.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in United Kingdom peaked at 105.16 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 terawatt-hours, in 1920.
United Kingdom ranks 8th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1921 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1922 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1923 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1924 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1925 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1926 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1927 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1928 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1929 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1930 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1931 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1932 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1933 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1934 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1935 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1936 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1937 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1938 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1939 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1940 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1941 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1942 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1943 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1944 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1945 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1946 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1947 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1948 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1949 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1950 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1951 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1952 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1953 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1954 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1955 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1956 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1957 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1958 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1959 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1960 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1961 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1962 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1963 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1964 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1965 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1967 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1968 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1969 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1970 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 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 | 0.001 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1985 | 0.001 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.001 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0 terawatt-hours | -100.0% |
| 1988 | 0.001 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1989 | 0.009 terawatt-hours | +791.0% |
| 1990 | 0.01 terawatt-hours | +11.1% |
| 1991 | 0.01 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.03 terawatt-hours | +200.0% |
| 1993 | 0.22 terawatt-hours | +633.3% |
| 1994 | 0.34 terawatt-hours | +54.5% |
| 1995 | 0.39 terawatt-hours | +14.7% |
| 1996 | 0.49 terawatt-hours | +25.6% |
| 1997 | 0.67 terawatt-hours | +36.7% |
| 1998 | 0.88 terawatt-hours | +31.3% |
| 1999 | 0.85 terawatt-hours | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 0.94 terawatt-hours | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 0.96 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 1.25 terawatt-hours | +30.2% |
| 2003 | 1.29 terawatt-hours | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 1.94 terawatt-hours | +50.4% |
| 2005 | 2.91 terawatt-hours | +50.0% |
| 2006 | 4.23 terawatt-hours | +45.4% |
| 2007 | 5.28 terawatt-hours | +24.8% |
| 2008 | 7.15 terawatt-hours | +35.4% |
| 2009 | 9.3 terawatt-hours | +30.1% |
| 2010 | 10.33 terawatt-hours | +11.1% |
| 2011 | 16.2 terawatt-hours | +56.8% |
| 2012 | 21.19 terawatt-hours | +30.8% |
| 2013 | 30.41 terawatt-hours | +43.5% |
| 2014 | 36 terawatt-hours | +18.4% |
| 2015 | 47.8 terawatt-hours | +32.8% |
| 2016 | 47.57 terawatt-hours | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 61.11 terawatt-hours | +28.5% |
| 2018 | 69.58 terawatt-hours | +13.9% |
| 2019 | 76.26 terawatt-hours | +9.6% |
| 2020 | 88.17 terawatt-hours | +15.6% |
| 2021 | 77.06 terawatt-hours | -12.6% |
| 2022 | 93.55 terawatt-hours | +21.4% |
| 2023 | 96.03 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 98.07 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 105.16 terawatt-hours | +7.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 105.16 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.15 terawatt-hours, 48.9× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 105.16 terawatt-hours is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.66 terawatt-hours, 18.6× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in United Kingdom 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +791.0% | 0.001 terawatt-hours | 0.009 terawatt-hours |
| 1993 | +633.3% | 0.03 terawatt-hours | 0.22 terawatt-hours |
| 1992 | +200.0% | 0.01 terawatt-hours | 0.03 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1960s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0013 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.009 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.389 terawatt-hours | 0.01 terawatt-hours | 0.88 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.52 terawatt-hours | 0.94 terawatt-hours | 9.3 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.64 terawatt-hours | 10.33 terawatt-hours | 76.26 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 93.01 terawatt-hours | 77.06 terawatt-hours | 105.16 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More energy & mining data for United Kingdom
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.3 % 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 8.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in United Kingdom?
- Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in United Kingdom was 105.16 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 105.16 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1920.
- How does United Kingdom rank for electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal?
- United Kingdom ranks 8th out of 212 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 120.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 — 106 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.