Renewable electricity generation by source in China
China: Renewable electricity generation by source was 1,135 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Renewable electricity generation by source 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
In 2025, renewable electricity generation by source in China stood at 1,135 terawatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.9% on the previous year and up 511.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, renewable electricity generation by source in China peaked at 1,135 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.
Renewable electricity generation by source 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 | 0.002 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1991 | 0.0091 terawatt-hours | +350.0% |
| 1992 | 0.1313 terawatt-hours | +1344.4% |
| 1993 | 0.2121 terawatt-hours | +61.5% |
| 1994 | 0.3838 terawatt-hours | +81.0% |
| 1995 | 0.6162 terawatt-hours | +60.5% |
| 1996 | 0.0939 terawatt-hours | -84.8% |
| 1997 | 0.198 terawatt-hours | +110.8% |
| 1998 | 0.3556 terawatt-hours | +79.6% |
| 1999 | 0.4737 terawatt-hours | +33.2% |
| 2000 | 0.59 terawatt-hours | +24.5% |
| 2001 | 0.72 terawatt-hours | +22.0% |
| 2002 | 0.84 terawatt-hours | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 1 terawatt-hours | +19.0% |
| 2004 | 1.28 terawatt-hours | +28.0% |
| 2005 | 1.95 terawatt-hours | +52.3% |
| 2006 | 3.71 terawatt-hours | +90.3% |
| 2007 | 5.48 terawatt-hours | +47.7% |
| 2008 | 13.1 terawatt-hours | +139.1% |
| 2009 | 27.61 terawatt-hours | +110.8% |
| 2010 | 49.4 terawatt-hours | +78.9% |
| 2011 | 74.1 terawatt-hours | +50.0% |
| 2012 | 103.05 terawatt-hours | +39.1% |
| 2013 | 138.26 terawatt-hours | +34.2% |
| 2014 | 159.76 terawatt-hours | +15.6% |
| 2015 | 185.59 terawatt-hours | +16.2% |
| 2016 | 240.86 terawatt-hours | +29.8% |
| 2017 | 304.6 terawatt-hours | +26.5% |
| 2018 | 365.8 terawatt-hours | +20.1% |
| 2019 | 405.3 terawatt-hours | +10.8% |
| 2020 | 466.5 terawatt-hours | +15.1% |
| 2021 | 655.8 terawatt-hours | +40.6% |
| 2022 | 762.67 terawatt-hours | +16.3% |
| 2023 | 885.87 terawatt-hours | +16.2% |
| 2024 | 997.04 terawatt-hours | +12.5% |
| 2025 | 1,135 terawatt-hours | +13.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1,135 terawatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.16 terawatt-hours, 7096.5× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Renewable electricity generation by source 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 | +1344.4% | 0.0091 terawatt-hours | 0.1313 terawatt-hours |
| 1991 | +350.0% | 0.002 terawatt-hours | 0.0091 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 | 0.2476 terawatt-hours | 0.002 terawatt-hours | 0.6162 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.63 terawatt-hours | 0.59 terawatt-hours | 27.61 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 202.67 terawatt-hours | 49.4 terawatt-hours | 405.3 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 817.22 terawatt-hours | 466.5 terawatt-hours | 1,135 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 renewable electricity generation by source in China?
- Renewable electricity generation by source in China was 1,135 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 renewable electricity generation by source recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1,135 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest renewable electricity generation by source recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1971.
- How does China rank for renewable electricity generation by source?
- China ranks 1st out of 212 countries with data for 2025.
- Is renewable electricity generation by source rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 511.8%. 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 Renewable electricity generation by source. 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.