Electricity generation from hydropower in China
China: Electricity generation from hydropower was 1,397 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1,397 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
1st
of 215 countries
All-time high
1,397 terawatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
19.38 terawatt-hours
in 1967
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Electricity generation from hydropower in China, 1965–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity generation from hydropower in China stood at 1,397 terawatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 25.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from hydropower in China peaked at 1,397 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 19.38 terawatt-hours, in 1967.
That places China 1st out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from hydropower in China, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 22.1 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 22.49 terawatt-hours | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 19.38 terawatt-hours | -13.8% |
| 1968 | 22.87 terawatt-hours | +18.0% |
| 1969 | 23.26 terawatt-hours | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 24.04 terawatt-hours | +3.3% |
| 1971 | 29.08 terawatt-hours | +21.0% |
| 1972 | 32.95 terawatt-hours | +13.3% |
| 1973 | 36.83 terawatt-hours | +11.8% |
| 1974 | 41.67 terawatt-hours | +13.2% |
| 1975 | 43.61 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 44.19 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 46.13 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 43.23 terawatt-hours | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 48.56 terawatt-hours | +12.3% |
| 1980 | 58.22 terawatt-hours | +19.9% |
| 1981 | 65.51 terawatt-hours | +12.5% |
| 1982 | 74.41 terawatt-hours | +13.6% |
| 1983 | 86.42 terawatt-hours | +16.1% |
| 1984 | 86.81 terawatt-hours | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 92.39 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 94.55 terawatt-hours | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 100.02 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 1988 | 109.17 terawatt-hours | +9.1% |
| 1989 | 118.41 terawatt-hours | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 126.74 terawatt-hours | +7.0% |
| 1991 | 124.69 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 130.69 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 151.85 terawatt-hours | +16.2% |
| 1994 | 167.43 terawatt-hours | +10.3% |
| 1995 | 190.58 terawatt-hours | +13.8% |
| 1996 | 187.97 terawatt-hours | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 195.98 terawatt-hours | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 198.89 terawatt-hours | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 196.58 terawatt-hours | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 222.41 terawatt-hours | +13.1% |
| 2001 | 277.43 terawatt-hours | +24.7% |
| 2002 | 287.97 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 283.68 terawatt-hours | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 353.54 terawatt-hours | +24.6% |
| 2005 | 397.02 terawatt-hours | +12.3% |
| 2006 | 435.79 terawatt-hours | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 485.26 terawatt-hours | +11.4% |
| 2008 | 636.96 terawatt-hours | +31.3% |
| 2009 | 615.64 terawatt-hours | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 711.38 terawatt-hours | +15.6% |
| 2011 | 688.04 terawatt-hours | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 862.79 terawatt-hours | +25.4% |
| 2013 | 909.61 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 1,060 terawatt-hours | +16.5% |
| 2015 | 1,115 terawatt-hours | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 1,153 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 1,165 terawatt-hours | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 1,199 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 1,273 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 1,322 terawatt-hours | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 1,300 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 1,298 terawatt-hours | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 1,226 terawatt-hours | -5.6% |
| 2024 | 1,354 terawatt-hours | +10.5% |
| 2025 | 1,397 terawatt-hours | +3.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1,397 terawatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.83 terawatt-hours, 763.4× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 1,397 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.57 terawatt-hours, 2451.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 22.02 terawatt-hours | 19.38 terawatt-hours | 23.26 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 39.03 terawatt-hours | 24.04 terawatt-hours | 48.56 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 88.59 terawatt-hours | 58.22 terawatt-hours | 118.41 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 167.14 terawatt-hours | 124.69 terawatt-hours | 198.89 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 399.57 terawatt-hours | 222.41 terawatt-hours | 636.96 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,014 terawatt-hours | 688.04 terawatt-hours | 1,273 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,316 terawatt-hours | 1,226 terawatt-hours | 1,397 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 hydropower in China?
- Electricity generation from hydropower in China was 1,397 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 hydropower recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1,397 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from hydropower recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.38 terawatt-hours in 1967.
- How does China rank for electricity generation from hydropower?
- China ranks 1st out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from hydropower rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 hydropower. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.