Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in China
China: Electricity generation from low-carbon sources was 4,408 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
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 209 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
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
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 6.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 1.41 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 933.17 million (2025)
- Urban population 66.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 285.09 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
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 209 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.