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By 2025, the total global renewable generation capacity will have reached 5,149 GW. The annual increase was 692 GW, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
- Compared to the previous year, “green” capacity has grown by 15.5%. It is noteworthy that renewables account for 85.6% of all new energy capacity in the world. Traditional generation has not disappeared, but it is already losing ground in new projects.
This acceleration is taking place against the backdrop of growing risks for global energy. Geopolitical tensions, especially in the Middle East, are once again exposing the vulnerability of fossil fuel supplies. Renewable energy looks more stable: it is built faster, has a local character and is becoming cheaper.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera sums up the latest trends: “Countries that have invested in the energy transition are weathering this crisis with less economic losses as they improve their energy security, resilience and competitiveness.”
Solar and wind are the main drivers of growth
Solar energy made the biggest contribution — 511 GW, which is almost three quarters of all new capacity. Wind generation added another 159 GW. Together, these two technologies provided 96.8% of the growth in 2025. The main reason is that they are the fastest becoming cheaper and scalable.
Other areas are growing much more slowly:
- hydropower (excluding PSPP) — +18.4 GW,
- bioenergy — +3.4 GW,
- geothermal energy — only +0.3 GW.
- Regional distribution: Asia leads by a huge margin
The development of renewable energy is uneven. The absolute leader is Asia - 513.3 GW of new capacity has been installed here, or 74.2% of the global increase. The region grew by 21.6% per year.
Africa showed a good growth rate (+15.9%), but in absolute terms it is a modest 11.3 GW. The most active countries are Ethiopia, South Africa and Egypt. The Middle East also accelerated (+28.9%), the main driver was Saudi Arabia.
The overall concentration of "green" capacities looks like this:
- Asia - 2891 GW,
- Europe - 934 GW,
- North America - mentioned in the context of individual projects, but the overall gap is significant,
- Central America and the Caribbean - only 21 GW.
- This gap has direct consequences: regions with a lower share of renewables are more vulnerable to fluctuations in fuel prices and supply disruptions.
Breakdown by technology
- Solar: 510.3 GW of the 511.2 GW are photovoltaic panels.
- Wind: 158.7 GW, of which China accounts for 119.4 GW, India for 6.3 GW.
- Hydro: 96% of the increase was made by China.
- Bioenergy: Japan (+1.1 GW), China (+0.8 GW), Brazil (+0.6 GW).
- Geothermal: contributions were made by the Philippines, Indonesia, Germany, Turkey, Japan.
- Off-grid systems: +1.7 GW, mainly solar.
Key takeaway
Looking at the 2025 data, it can be argued that the global energy transition has become a reality. Solar and wind have become the fastest and cheapest options for building new capacity. The countries that move faster than others will benefit the most: they are the ones less dependent on crises and spikes in fossil fuel prices.