Global renewable energy use continues to grow
DOI: 10.1063/pt.vzal.nqho
More than 12% of the energy consumed globally in 2021 came from renewable sources, according to the latest data from the International Energy Agency (IEA). That’s up from about 7% in 2000.
As shown in the figure, hydropower accounted for the majority of electricity generation from renewables (excluding the burning of biofuels and waste, not shown) in 2022. From 2012 to 2022, annual electricity generation by hydropower grew from nearly 3.8 million GWh to nearly 4.5 million GWh. But the output from solar photovoltaics and wind is surging. The two were the source of about 43% of the noncombustible renewable electricity produced in 2022, up from about 14% a decade prior. Declining manufacturing costs for solar panels and wind turbines have made renewables a more competitive source of electricity generation.
Fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) accounted for about 65% of the total energy that was consumed worldwide in 2022, according to the IEA. At 30%, industry was responsible for the largest share of global energy consumption, followed by transportation (28%) and residential use (20%). From 2000 to 2022, annual global electricity consumption per capita climbed nearly 50%, to about 3.4 MWh.
For more on global energy generation and consumption, including breakdowns by energy source and use by sector, see the interactive charts at https://www.iea.org/world .
(Figure adapted from IEA 2025, “Renewable electricity generation by source (non-combustible), World, 2022,” https://www.iea.org/world/renewables , CC BY 4.0 . This is a work derived by Physics Today from IEA material, and Physics Today is solely liable and responsible for this derived work. The derived work is not endorsed by the IEA in any manner.)
This article was originally published online on 14 August 2025.
