Renewables Beat Coal for First Time Since 1919
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Key Takeaways
- Renewables generated 33.8% of global electricity in 2025, surpassing coal for the first time since 1919.
- Coal’s share of the global power mix fell to 33.0% as solar and wind deployment accelerated worldwide.
- Fossil fuels still generated more electricity overall when gas and other fossil sources are included.
For most of the last century, coal was the backbone of global electricity generation.
But in 2025, renewables reclaimed the lead for the first time since 1919, when hydropower briefly helped them generate a larger share of electricity before coal’s long rise to dominance.
Data from Ember shows renewables generated 33.8% of global electricity in 2025, narrowly surpassing coal at 33.0%. The shift was driven largely by rapid growth in solar and wind power across China, Europe, and the United States.
While coal once accounted for more than 40% of the global power mix, falling renewable energy costs and rising clean energy investment are steadily reshaping the world’s electricity system.
Solar and Wind Drive the Renewable Surge
In 2025, renewables accounted for 33.8% of global electricity generation, totaling 10,730 terawatt-hours (TWh). Coal generated 10,476 TWh, representing 33.0% of the global mix.
Falling costs for solar panels, battery storage, and wind turbines have made renewable electricity more competitive across major economies.
Governments have also increased investment in clean energy infrastructure as countries pursue emissions reduction targets.
| Year | Renewables (%) | Coal (%) | Gas and other fossil (%) | Nuclear (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33.8 | 33.0 | 24.4 | 8.9 |
| 2024 | 31.9 | 34.1 | 25.0 | 9.0 |
| 2023 | 30.3 | 35.0 | 25.5 | 9.1 |
| 2022 | 29.5 | 35.4 | 26.0 | 9.1 |
| 2021 | 28.1 | 35.9 | 26.2 | 9.8 |
| 2020 | 28.0 | 35.3 | 26.8 | 9.9 |
| 2019 | 26.1 | 36.6 | 27.1 | 10.3 |
| 2018 | 25.1 | 37.9 | 27.0 | 10.1 |
| 2017 | 24.5 | 38.0 | 27.4 | 10.2 |
| 2016 | 23.7 | 37.8 | 28.1 | 10.4 |
| 2015 | 23.0 | 38.7 | 27.8 | 10.6 |
| 2014 | 22.3 | 40.4 | 26.8 | 10.5 |
| 2013 | 21.7 | 40.7 | 27.0 | 10.6 |
| 2012 | 21.0 | 39.8 | 28.4 | 10.8 |
| 2011 | 20.0 | 40.6 | 27.6 | 11.9 |
| 2010 | 19.7 | 39.8 | 27.7 | 12.8 |
| 2009 | 19.5 | 39.9 | 27.3 | 13.3 |
| 2008 | 18.9 | 40.2 | 27.5 | 13.4 |
| 2007 | 18.0 | 40.8 | 27.5 | 13.7 |
| 2006 | 18.2 | 40.2 | 26.9 | 14.7 |
| 2005 | 18.1 | 39.5 | 27.4 | 15.0 |
| 2004 | 18.0 | 39.0 | 27.4 | 15.6 |
| 2003 | 17.4 | 39.5 | 27.4 | 15.6 |
| 2002 | 17.9 | 38.3 | 27.3 | 16.5 |
| 2001 | 18.0 | 38.0 | 27.1 | 16.9 |
| 2000 | 18.7 | 38.0 | 26.6 | 16.6 |
| 1999 | 19.1 | 37.0 | 26.9 | 17.0 |
| 1998 | 19.4 | 37.2 | 26.4 | 16.9 |
| 1997 | 19.8 | 37.5 | 25.8 | 17.0 |
| 1996 | 19.9 | 37.4 | 25.1 | 17.5 |
| 1995 | 20.3 | 36.8 | 25.5 | 17.4 |
| 1994 | 20.0 | 37.0 | 25.7 | 17.3 |
| 1993 | 20.2 | 36.9 | 25.6 | 17.3 |
| 1992 | 19.6 | 36.9 | 26.3 | 17.2 |
| 1991 | 19.7 | 36.6 | 26.6 | 17.2 |
| 1990 | 19.8 | 36.5 | 26.9 | 16.8 |
| 1989 | 19.4 | 37.7 | 26.3 | 16.6 |
| 1988 | 20.0 | 38.1 | 24.9 | 17.0 |
| 1987 | 20.1 | 38.4 | 25.1 | 16.3 |
| 1986 | 21.0 | 38.0 | 25.3 | 15.7 |
| 1985 | 21.2 | 38.0 | 25.7 | 15.1 |
| 1984 | 21.7 | 37.2 | 27.9 | 13.2 |
| 1983 | 22.1 | 37.7 | 28.6 | 11.5 |
| 1982 | 22.1 | 37.4 | 30.0 | 10.5 |
| 1981 | 21.7 | 36.8 | 31.7 | 9.8 |
| 1980 | 21.6 | 37.0 | 32.9 | 8.5 |
| 1979 | 21.8 | 35.9 | 34.3 | 8.0 |
| 1978 | 21.6 | 35.1 | 35.2 | 8.0 |
| 1977 | 21.1 | 36.1 | 35.6 | 7.3 |
| 1976 | 21.4 | 36.4 | 36.0 | 6.2 |
| 1975 | 23.0 | 35.6 | 35.6 | 5.8 |
| 1974 | 23.4 | 35.6 | 36.7 | 4.3 |
| 1973 | 21.7 | 37.3 | 37.7 | 3.3 |
| 1972 | 23.1 | 37.4 | 36.9 | 2.6 |
| 1971 | 23.8 | 39.0 | 35.1 | 2.1 |
| 1970 | 24.1 | 42.2 | 32.1 | 1.6 |
| 1969 | 24.7 | 45.0 | 28.9 | 1.4 |
| 1968 | 25.4 | 47.2 | 26.2 | 1.2 |
| 1967 | 26.4 | 48.1 | 24.4 | 1.1 |
| 1966 | 27.4 | 48.8 | 22.8 | 0.9 |
| 1965 | 27.6 | 50.8 | 21.0 | 0.7 |
| 1964 | 27.0 | 51.7 | 20.9 | 0.5 |
| 1963 | 28.3 | 52.1 | 19.2 | 0.4 |
| 1962 | 29.1 | 52.2 | 18.4 | 0.2 |
| 1961 | 30.0 | 52.2 | 17.6 | 0.2 |
| 1960 | 30.4 | 52.8 | 16.7 | 0.1 |
| 1959 | 30.5 | 53.4 | 16.1 | 0.1 |
| 1958 | 32.6 | 52.9 | 14.5 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | 31.1 | 54.9 | 14.0 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | 30.9 | 55.9 | 13.2 | 0.0 |
| 1955 | 31.2 | 55.3 | 13.5 | 0.0 |
| 1954 | 32.5 | 53.2 | 14.3 | 0.0 |
| 1953 | 33.0 | 52.3 | 14.7 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | 34.8 | 51.6 | 13.6 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | 35.2 | 52.5 | 12.3 | 0.0 |
| 1950 | 36.2 | 50.4 | 13.5 | 0.0 |
| 1949 | 36.6 | 50.6 | 12.8 | 0.0 |
| 1948 | 37.5 | 52.4 | 10.1 | 0.0 |
| 1947 | 38.6 | 51.7 | 9.7 | 0.0 |
| 1946 | 41.7 | 49.3 | 9.0 | 0.0 |
| 1945 | 40.3 | 51.7 | 8.0 | 0.0 |
| 1944 | 38.6 | 53.3 | 8.0 | 0.0 |
| 1943 | 38.3 | 54.6 | 7.2 | 0.0 |
| 1942 | 37.9 | 55.5 | 6.6 | 0.0 |
| 1941 | 37.8 | 55.8 | 6.4 | 0.0 |
| 1940 | 38.3 | 55.3 | 6.4 | 0.0 |
| 1939 | 39.0 | 53.9 | 7.1 | 0.0 |
| 1938 | 41.0 | 52.8 | 6.2 | 0.0 |
| 1937 | 41.6 | 52.2 | 6.2 | 0.0 |
| 1936 | 41.5 | 52.1 | 6.4 | 0.0 |
| 1935 | 43.8 | 50.3 | 5.9 | 0.0 |
| 1934 | 42.6 | 51.3 | 6.1 | 0.0 |
| 1933 | 44.7 | 49.1 | 6.2 | 0.0 |
| 1932 | 45.1 | 48.6 | 6.3 | 0.0 |
| 1931 | 42.2 | 51.1 | 6.7 | 0.0 |
| 1930 | 42.9 | 51.2 | 5.8 | 0.0 |
| 1929 | 42.5 | 51.9 | 5.6 | 0.0 |
| 1928 | 44.1 | 51.4 | 4.5 | 0.0 |
| 1927 | 43.1 | 52.7 | 4.2 | 0.0 |
| 1926 | 42.8 | 52.7 | 4.5 | 0.0 |
| 1925 | 41.1 | 54.2 | 4.6 | 0.0 |
| 1924 | 42.4 | 51.8 | 5.9 | 0.0 |
| 1923 | 42.8 | 52.4 | 4.8 | 0.0 |
| 1922 | 44.3 | 51.2 | 4.5 | 0.0 |
| 1921 | 44.6 | 51.0 | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| 1920 | 45.2 | 50.7 | 4.1 | 0.0 |
| 1919 | 51.7 | 47.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| 1918 | 47.9 | 50.9 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| 1917 | 42.4 | 55.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| 1916 | 42.7 | 55.4 | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| 1915 | 42.4 | 55.7 | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| 1914 | 41.6 | 56.4 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| 1913 | 42.2 | 55.7 | 2.1 | 0.0 |
| 1912 | 43.1 | 55.3 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| 1911 | 42.2 | 56.1 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| 1910 | 40.7 | 57.7 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| 1909 | 39.9 | 58.5 | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| 1908 | 39.3 | 59.2 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| 1907 | 37.5 | 61.1 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| 1906 | 36.7 | 61.9 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| 1905 | 35.8 | 63.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| 1904 | 35.9 | 63.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| 1903 | 37.0 | 62.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| 1902 | 38.9 | 61.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1901 | 40.3 | 59.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1900 | 42.0 | 58.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Renewables increased their share of global electricity generation by nearly 11 percentage points over the last decade, rising from 23.0% in 2015 to 33.8% in 2025.
Much of this growth came from utility-scale solar and wind projects, particularly in China, Europe, and the United States.
Hydropower remains an important contributor, but newer renewable technologies are now driving most of the expansion.
Coal’s Long Decline Continues
Coal dominated global electricity generation throughout much of the 20th century, peaking at more than 40% of the global mix during the 2000s. Its decline has been gradual but increasingly visible as cleaner energy sources gain market share.
In 2025, coal generation fell by 63 TWh, marking its first annual decline since the pandemic-driven slowdown in 2020.
Combined with rising electricity demand worldwide, coal’s share dropped below one-third of global generation for the first time ever.
Renewables had briefly surpassed coal once before in 1919, when hydropower represented a larger share of the electricity system. However, that lead was short-lived as industrial coal use rapidly expanded in the decades that followed.
The Global Power Mix Is Still Evolving
Despite the milestone, fossil fuels still account for a large share of global electricity generation.
Gas and other fossil sources made up 24.4% of the power mix in 2025, meaning fossil fuels collectively still generated more electricity than renewables.
At the same time, nuclear power’s share has gradually declined from its peak in the late 20th century.
Even after renewables surpassed coal, fossil fuels still generated more than half of global electricity in 2025 when gas and other fossil sources are included, highlighting how incomplete the global energy transition remains.
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