Electricity production by source in United States

United States: Electricity production by source was 14.0% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
14.0%
Change on year
up 10.5%
World rank
58th
of 208 countries
All-time high
14.0%
in 2021
All-time low
1.1%
in 1998
Years of data
32
1990–2021

Electricity production by source in United States, 1990–2021

0510151990200520211990: 2.5 % of total1991: 1.3 % of total1992: 1.5 % of total1993: 1.5 % of total1994: 1.5 % of total1995: 1.3 % of total1996: 1.3 % of total1997: 1.2 % of total1998: 1.1 % of total1999: 1.3 % of total2000: 1.9 % of total2001: 1.9 % of total2002: 2 % of total2003: 2 % of total2004: 2.1 % of total2005: 2.2 % of total2006: 2.4 % of total2007: 2.6 % of total2008: 3.1 % of total2009: 3.7 % of total2010: 4.1 % of total2011: 4.8 % of total2012: 5.5 % of total2013: 6.3 % of total2014: 6.9 % of total2015: 7.4 % of total2016: 8.5 % of total2017: 9.7 % of total2018: 10 % of total2019: 10.9 % of total2020: 12.7 % of total2021: 14 % of total

Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.

Analysis

In 2021, electricity production by source in United States stood at 14.0%. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.

The figure is up 10.5% on the previous year and up 194.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electricity production by source in United States peaked at 14.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1998.

That places United States 58th out of 208 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.4% 1.1% 2.5% 10
2000s 2.4% 1.9% 3.7% 10
2010s 7.4% 4.1% 10.9% 10
2020s 13.3% 12.7% 14.0% 2

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 55 Vanuatu 14.4% compare
  2. 56 Faroe Islands 14.4% compare
  3. 57 Tonga 14.2% compare
  4. 59 Philippines 14.0% compare
  5. 60 Mexico 13.4% compare
  6. 61 Senegal 13.3% compare

See the full ranking of 208 places →

More energy & mining data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is electricity production by source in United States?
Electricity production by source in United States was 14.0% in 2021, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electricity production by source recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 2021.
What is the lowest electricity production by source recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1998.
How does United States rank for electricity production by source?
United States ranks 58th out of 208 countries with data for 2021.
Is electricity production by source rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 194.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity production by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Electricity production by source
Unit
% of total
Source
IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
208 places, 5,891 data points, 1990–2021
Last refreshed