The global electricity mix is rapidly shifting toward cleaner sources, with low-emissions energy reaching a record 43 percent share of total power generation in 2025, the highest in five decades. Renewables alone accounted for 34 percent, rising from 32 percent in 2024 and 23 percent a decade ago. Wind and solar PV together contributed 17 percent of global generation, more than tripling their share from about 5 percent ten years earlier, highlighting the accelerating transition to clean energy.
Solar PV and wind energy delivered record-breaking performance across major markets in 2025, with China maintaining its dominance in global renewable expansion, according to IEA’s Global Energy Review.
China added nearly 500 GW of renewable capacity during the year, accounting for over 60 percent of global growth. Solar PV installations alone reached about 370 GW, up 13 percent year-on-year, while wind capacity surged by 48 percent to 117 GW. Policy shifts, including the move to competitive auctions in June 2025, accelerated solar installations in the first half, while large-scale wind “mega-base” projects drove strong momentum in the latter half.
The European Union also achieved record growth, adding nearly 85 GW of renewable capacity, about 10 percent higher than in 2024. Solar PV dominated with close to 70 GW of installations. Germany contributed 17 GW, representing roughly 25 percent of the EU total, while Spain added a record 14 GW, a 50 percent increase year-on-year. Onshore wind additions reached about 13 GW, although offshore wind declined to just 1 GW from 1.7 GW in 2024.
India emerged as the fastest-growing major renewable market, with capacity additions rising nearly 60 percent in 2025. Solar PV led this expansion with around 50 GW of new installations, while wind capacity more than doubled to exceed 6 GW. In contrast, the United States added 49 GW of renewable capacity, marking a 10 percent decline due to lower solar PV deployments.
Emerging regions also showed strong momentum. Renewable capacity additions doubled in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, reaching about 12 GW each. South Africa led growth in Africa with over 3 GW of solar PV installations, while Saudi Arabia’s solar capacity quadrupled to nearly 7 GW. Pakistan added around 10 GW of solar PV, driven largely by distributed and off-grid systems.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH