Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in China
China: Electricity generation from low-carbon sources was 4,408 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
4,408 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 14.5%
World rank
1st
of 214 countries
All-time high
4,408 terawatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
29.08 terawatt-hours
in 1971
Years of data
55
1971–2025
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in China, 1971–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
China recorded 4,408 terawatt-hours for electricity generation from low-carbon sources in 2025. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.5% on the previous year and up 181.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from low-carbon sources in China peaked at 4,408 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 29.08 terawatt-hours, in 1971.
China ranks 1st of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in China, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 29.08 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1972 | 32.95 terawatt-hours | +13.3% |
| 1973 | 36.83 terawatt-hours | +11.8% |
| 1974 | 41.67 terawatt-hours | +13.2% |
| 1975 | 43.61 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 44.19 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 46.13 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 43.23 terawatt-hours | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 48.56 terawatt-hours | +12.3% |
| 1980 | 58.22 terawatt-hours | +19.9% |
| 1981 | 65.51 terawatt-hours | +12.5% |
| 1982 | 74.41 terawatt-hours | +13.6% |
| 1983 | 86.42 terawatt-hours | +16.1% |
| 1984 | 86.81 terawatt-hours | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 92.39 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 94.55 terawatt-hours | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 100.02 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 1988 | 109.17 terawatt-hours | +9.1% |
| 1989 | 118.41 terawatt-hours | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 126.81 terawatt-hours | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 124.76 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 130.93 terawatt-hours | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 153.78 terawatt-hours | +17.5% |
| 1994 | 183.03 terawatt-hours | +19.0% |
| 1995 | 207.05 terawatt-hours | +13.1% |
| 1996 | 203.94 terawatt-hours | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 213.33 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 215.84 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 214.54 terawatt-hours | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 242.3 terawatt-hours | +12.9% |
| 2001 | 298.2 terawatt-hours | +23.1% |
| 2002 | 316.54 terawatt-hours | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 330.62 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 407.9 terawatt-hours | +23.4% |
| 2005 | 457.46 terawatt-hours | +12.2% |
| 2006 | 501.56 terawatt-hours | +9.6% |
| 2007 | 562.84 terawatt-hours | +12.2% |
| 2008 | 733.47 terawatt-hours | +30.3% |
| 2009 | 734.44 terawatt-hours | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 861.12 terawatt-hours | +17.2% |
| 2011 | 879.58 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 1,098 terawatt-hours | +24.8% |
| 2013 | 1,205 terawatt-hours | +9.7% |
| 2014 | 1,422 terawatt-hours | +18.1% |
| 2015 | 1,565 terawatt-hours | +10.0% |
| 2016 | 1,736 terawatt-hours | +10.9% |
| 2017 | 1,915 terawatt-hours | +10.3% |
| 2018 | 2,130 terawatt-hours | +11.2% |
| 2019 | 2,363 terawatt-hours | +10.9% |
| 2020 | 2,551 terawatt-hours | +7.9% |
| 2021 | 2,856 terawatt-hours | +12.0% |
| 2022 | 3,088 terawatt-hours | +8.1% |
| 2023 | 3,329 terawatt-hours | +7.8% |
| 2024 | 3,850 terawatt-hours | +15.6% |
| 2025 | 4,408 terawatt-hours | +14.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 4,408 terawatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.59 terawatt-hours, 788.6× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 4,408 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.98 terawatt-hours, 4498.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.69 terawatt-hours | 29.08 terawatt-hours | 48.56 terawatt-hours | 9 |
| 1980s | 88.59 terawatt-hours | 58.22 terawatt-hours | 118.41 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 177.4 terawatt-hours | 124.76 terawatt-hours | 215.84 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 458.53 terawatt-hours | 242.3 terawatt-hours | 734.44 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,518 terawatt-hours | 861.12 terawatt-hours | 2,363 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,347 terawatt-hours | 2,551 terawatt-hours | 4,408 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More climate change data for China
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 31.25 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 604,831 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 191,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 413,353 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 722.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 342,069 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 200,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 141,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 757 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from low-carbon sources in China?
- Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in China was 4,408 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 4,408 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.08 terawatt-hours in 1971.
- How does China rank for electricity generation from low-carbon sources?
- China ranks 1st out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from low-carbon sources rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 181.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from low-carbon sources. 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. Low-carbon sources correspond to renewables and nuclear power, that produce significantly less greenhouse-gas emissions than fossil fuels. Renewables include solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal, wave, and tidal.