Regionally, Asia led global renewable electricity generation with 4,589 TWh, recording a 14.3% increase driven mainly by solar and wind power
Renewable electricity generation grew by 9.8% in 2024, significantly outpacing the 1.4% growth recorded by non-renewable sources, according to the Renewable Energy Statistics 2026 report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Renewables generated 9,836 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity during the year, accounting for 31.7% of global electricity generation, reflecting the accelerating shift towards clean energy.
The report highlights that achieving the incoming COP31 Presidency of Türkiye’s proposed target of 35% electrification of final energy demand by 2035 will require a substantial increase in renewable power generation. Based on IRENA’s roadmap, the share of renewables in global electricity generation must rise from 31.7% in 2024 to 78% by 2035, requiring renewable electricity generation to expand to around 2.5 times its current level.
Regionally, Asia led global renewable electricity generation with 4,589 TWh, recording a 14.3% increase driven mainly by solar and wind power. Europe generated 1,758 TWh, up 7.2%, followed by North America with 1,535 TWh (5.8% increase) and South America with 1,047 TWh (2.9% increase). The Middle East registered the highest regional growth rate at 17.3%, while Eurasia grew by 11.9%, Africa by 5.7%, Central America and the Caribbean by 5.8%, and Oceania by 3.4%.
IRENA also revised its 2025 renewable capacity data, reporting that annual renewable capacity additions reached a record 693 GW. By the end of 2025, global renewable installed capacity stood at 5.2 TW, representing 49.5% of the world’s total installed power capacity. Although renewables accounted for 85.7% of total capacity additions in 2025, down from 92.7% in 2024, the agency noted that renewable deployment continues to outpace the growth of non-renewable energy capacity.
