Global Renewable Energy Capacity Reaches 49 Percent as 2025 Additions Hit Record 692 GW, IRENA Reports
The International Renewable Energy Agency's latest data shows the world added a record 692 gigawatts of renewable power capacity in 2025, bringing renewables to 49 percent of total global installed capacity and within reach of the halfway mark for the first time.
Overview
Renewable energy now accounts for 49 percent of the world’s total installed power capacity, up from 46.3 percent a year earlier, according to data released by the International Renewable Energy Agency on April 1, 2026. The milestone came after the world added a record 692 gigawatts of renewable capacity in 2025, a 15.5 percent annual increase that brought the global total to 5,149 GW.
Renewables made up 85.6 percent of all new power capacity installed worldwide in 2025, and over 90 percent of new renewable projects now undercut fossil fuel alternatives on cost.
Solar Dominates, Wind Follows
Solar photovoltaics led the expansion with 511 GW of new capacity, accounting for roughly 75 percent of all renewable additions. Wind energy contributed 159 GW, a 14 percent year-on-year increase. Together, solar and wind represented 96.8 percent of all net renewable capacity added during the year.
Hydropower added 18.4 GW, bioenergy 3.4 GW, geothermal 0.3 GW, and off-grid renewables 1.7 GW. The continued dominance of solar reflects steep cost declines that have made utility-scale photovoltaics the cheapest source of new electricity generation in most markets.
Asia Leads, Africa and Middle East Accelerate
Asia accounted for 74.2 percent of all new renewable capacity, adding 513.3 GW and bringing the region’s total to 2,891 GW. China was the dominant contributor, adding 119.4 GW of wind capacity alone — nearly 75 percent of the global wind total — and accounting for 96 percent of new hydropower installations.
Africa recorded its largest-ever annual increase in renewable capacity, rising 15.9 percent with 11.3 GW of additions, driven by Ethiopia, South Africa, and Egypt. The Middle East posted the fastest growth rate globally at 28.9 percent, led by Saudi Arabia. Europe’s total capacity stood at 934 GW.
Geopolitical Context Strengthens the Case
The data arrived against the backdrop of the Iran conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas supply. IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera framed the results as evidence that renewable-heavy energy systems are more resilient to geopolitical shocks. “A more decentralized energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient,” he stated.
Countries with high renewable penetration have been less exposed to the price shock. Spain, which draws roughly 60 percent of its electricity from solar and wind plus another 20 percent from nuclear, has registered some of the lowest gas prices in the European Union since the conflict began.
United States Mirrors the Global Trend
The United States is following a similar trajectory. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the country added 55.2 GW of renewable and storage capacity in the year through January 2026, compared with less than 1 GW of net fossil fuel and nuclear growth. Renewables now account for 36.6 percent of total U.S. generating capacity.
The EIA projects that the gap will widen further in 2026, with an estimated 41.6 GW of utility-scale solar, 14 GW of onshore and offshore wind, and 22.7 GW of battery storage expected to come online, while fossil fuel and nuclear capacity is forecast to decline by 4.3 GW.
What the Numbers Mean
The 49 percent milestone places the world on the threshold of a point at which renewables will constitute the majority of installed power capacity. Whether that translates into a corresponding share of actual electricity generation — which depends on capacity factors, grid integration, and storage — remains a separate question. But the trajectory is clear: the fifth consecutive year of record renewable additions suggests the energy transition has reached a scale that is increasingly difficult to reverse.