Share of electricity production by source in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Share of electricity production by source was 37.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
37.1%
Change on year
down 10.9%
World rank
143rd
of 208 countries
All-time high
79.4%
in 2008
All-time low
37.1%
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Share of electricity production by source in United Kingdom, 1990–2023

0204060801990200620231990: 77 % of total1991: 76 % of total1992: 73.5 % of total1993: 70.1 % of total1994: 70.3 % of total1995: 70.7 % of total1996: 70.8 % of total1997: 69.5 % of total1998: 69.6 % of total1999: 70.6 % of total2000: 73.9 % of total2001: 72.8 % of total2002: 73 % of total2003: 73.7 % of total2004: 74.9 % of total2005: 73.9 % of total2006: 74.9 % of total2007: 77.7 % of total2008: 79.4 % of total2009: 73.5 % of total2010: 75.7 % of total2011: 70.4 % of total2012: 68 % of total2013: 64.1 % of total2014: 60.5 % of total2015: 52.9 % of total2016: 52.4 % of total2017: 47.9 % of total2018: 45.4 % of total2019: 43.8 % of total2020: 38.7 % of total2021: 43.1 % of total2022: 41.6 % of total2023: 37.1 % 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 2023, share of electricity production by source in United Kingdom stood at 37.1%. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.

The figure is down 10.9% on the previous year and down 42.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of electricity production by source in United Kingdom peaked at 79.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 37.1%, in 2023.

United Kingdom ranks 143rd of 208 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 71.8% 69.5% 77.0% 10
2000s 74.8% 72.8% 79.4% 10
2010s 58.1% 43.8% 75.7% 10
2020s 40.1% 37.1% 43.1% 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 140 Burundi 38.7% compare
  2. 141 Suriname 38.3% compare
  3. 142 Mali 37.7% compare
  4. 144 North Korea 37.0% compare
  5. 145 Chile 36.4% compare
  6. 146 Nicaragua 35.5% compare

See the full ranking of 208 places →

More energy & mining data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of electricity production by source in United Kingdom?
Share of electricity production by source in United Kingdom was 37.1% in 2023, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of electricity production by source recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 79.4% in 2008.
What is the lowest share of electricity production by source recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 37.1% in 2023.
How does United Kingdom rank for share of electricity production by source?
United Kingdom ranks 143rd out of 208 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of electricity production by source rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom 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 Share of electricity production by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of 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, 6,157 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed