Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Ireland
Ireland: Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources was 48.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Ireland, 1990–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Ireland stood at 48.1%. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 70.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Ireland peaked at 48.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 1996.
That places Ireland 85th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4.9% | — |
| 1991 | 5.0% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 5.3% | +4.7% |
| 1993 | 4.8% | -8.1% |
| 1994 | 5.6% | +15.7% |
| 1995 | 4.2% | -25.8% |
| 1996 | 4.0% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 4.1% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 5.7% | +37.3% |
| 1999 | 5.2% | -8.1% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 4.2% | -16.0% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +31.6% |
| 2003 | 4.6% | -16.8% |
| 2004 | 5.6% | +20.8% |
| 2005 | 7.4% | +31.9% |
| 2006 | 9.2% | +25.0% |
| 2007 | 10.0% | +8.6% |
| 2008 | 12.2% | +21.4% |
| 2009 | 14.9% | +22.3% |
| 2010 | 13.4% | -10.0% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | +51.0% |
| 2012 | 19.6% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 22.3% | +13.8% |
| 2014 | 25.0% | +12.3% |
| 2015 | 28.3% | +13.1% |
| 2016 | 25.1% | -11.3% |
| 2017 | 29.3% | +16.5% |
| 2018 | 33.3% | +13.8% |
| 2019 | 38.7% | +16.2% |
| 2020 | 42.4% | +9.6% |
| 2021 | 37.1% | -12.7% |
| 2022 | 39.2% | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 45.3% | +15.4% |
| 2024 | 46.5% | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 48.1% | +3.5% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 48.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 40.0%, 1.2× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 48.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 71.9%, 67% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.9% | 4.0% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.9% | 4.2% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.5% | 13.4% | 38.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.1% | 37.1% | 48.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More climate change data for Ireland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 320.11 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 18,098 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,665 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 14,433 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.83 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 515.47 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,902 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,899 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.17 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Ireland?
- Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Ireland was 48.1% in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 48.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 1996.
- How does Ireland rank for share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources?
- Ireland ranks 85th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region. 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.