Solar power surpasses wind for first time, generating a third of global electricity

Solar energy reached a new milestone in 2025, surpassing wind power in global electricity generation for the first time, signaling rapid progress in the shift toward renewable energy sources.

According to the latest Statistical Review of World Energy from the International Energy Institute, total global electricity generation reached about 32,200 terawatt-hours in 2025. Of this, around 10,750 terawatt-hours came from renewable sources, accounting for approximately 33.4 percent of global electricity production.

Hydropower remained the largest source of renewable electricity, generating 4,479 terawatt-hours, or about 13.9 percent of the global total. Solar power output rose to 2,811 terawatt-hours, overtaking wind power, which produced 2,714 terawatt-hours.

Solar electricity generation jumped by 30.1 percent in 2025, compared to an 8.2 percent increase for wind power. Hydropower output grew by a modest 0.4 percent.

Solar energy accounted for the largest share of the increase in renewable electricity production during the year, reflecting its rapid expansion compared to other clean energy technologies.

The data highlights the sector's transformation over the past decade. In 2015, wind power generated more than three times as much electricity as solar. Since then, solar output has increased nearly elevenfold to reach current levels.

China maintained its position as the world's largest solar power producer, generating about 1,173 terawatt-hours in 2025, or roughly 42 percent of the global total. The United States ranked second with 393 terawatt-hours, followed by India with 169 terawatt-hours, then Japan and Germany.

China's solar electricity output rose by about 40 percent during the year, compared to 28 percent growth in the United States and 23 percent in India.

Despite losing its place as the second-largest renewable electricity source to solar, wind power continued to grow strongly, with global output reaching 2,714 terawatt-hours in 2025.

Combined, solar and wind power generated about 5,525 terawatt-hours, representing 17.2 percent of global electricity production—23 percent more than hydropower.

Despite the rapid deployment of renewable technologies, the data shows this growth has not yet led to a corresponding decline in fossil fuel consumption. Global renewable energy supply increased by about 3.2 exajoules in 2025, while total global energy demand rose by 8.1 exajoules, meaning renewables covered only about 40 percent of the increase in demand.

These figures indicate that, while renewables are expanding rapidly, they are largely being added to the existing global energy mix rather than fully replacing coal, oil, and gas. Nevertheless, solar power overtaking wind marks a significant shift in the global electricity market and strengthens expectations that solar will drive renewable electricity growth in the coming years.