Renewable sources generated 30 percent of global electricity in 2023. That year, 510 GW of new solar PV capacity pushed the world's total past 1,600 GW.
Key Takeaways
- Renewables share of electricity generation reached 30% globally in 2023
- In 2023, wind was the second-largest contributor to new renewable capacity globally by additions
- IEA reports that renewable electricity generation growth outpaced overall electricity demand growth in 2023
- 2,807 TWh of renewable electricity generation occurred in 2023 worldwide
- 510 GW of solar PV additions in 2023 were enough to bring total solar PV capacity to about 1,600 GW worldwide
- 116 GW of wind additions in 2023 brought global wind capacity to about 1,000 GW
- 36% of EU electricity generation was from renewables in 2023 (renewables share in EU electricity)
- The share of renewables in electricity in the European Union exceeded 40% in 2022 (yearly benchmark)
- China added more than 75 GW of wind power capacity in 2023 (new installations)
- $473 billion global investment in renewable energy in 2022 (total investments by year)
- $1.2 trillion cumulative global renewable energy investments from 2017 to 2023 (reported cumulative)
- The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for utility-scale wind declined to about $0.02–$0.05/kWh in 2023 scenarios
In 2023 renewables supplied 30% of global electricity and surged investments worldwide, with wind and solar driving new capacity.
Related reading
01 · Category
Performance Metrics7 stats
01
Renewables share of electricity generation reached 30% globally in 2023
02
In 2023, wind was the second-largest contributor to new renewable capacity globally by additions
03
IEA reports that renewable electricity generation growth outpaced overall electricity demand growth in 2023
04
Average onshore wind turbine availability is commonly around 90%+ in operational performance reporting (typical benchmark)
05
Grid-scale curtailment in many regions has decreased compared with peak years, with Europe showing lower curtailment rates in 2023 relative to earlier high-curtailment periods
06
In 2022, global renewable power capacity exceeded 3,400 GW (end-2022 level), supporting higher generation and dispatchable-with-storage balancing
07
In 2023, renewable generation variability required more flexibility services, with storage and grid upgrades expanding to integrate higher shares
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show renewables are delivering stronger real-world output and reliability trends, with renewables reaching 30% of global electricity generation in 2023 and generation growth outpacing overall demand growth that same year.
02 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
2,807 TWh of renewable electricity generation occurred in 2023 worldwide
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2023, renewable electricity generation reached 2,807 TWh worldwide, underscoring a rapidly expanding market size for renewable energy as demand and supply grow.
03 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
510 GW of solar PV additions in 2023 were enough to bring total solar PV capacity to about 1,600 GW worldwide
02
116 GW of wind additions in 2023 brought global wind capacity to about 1,000 GW
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In industry trends, the sharp pace of clean energy buildout is clear as 510 GW of solar PV added in 2023 lifted global capacity to about 1,600 GW and 116 GW of wind additions pushed it to around 1,000 GW.
More related reading
04 · Category
User Adoption7 stats
01
36% of EU electricity generation was from renewables in 2023 (renewables share in EU electricity)
02
The share of renewables in electricity in the European Union exceeded 40% in 2022 (yearly benchmark)
03
China added more than 75 GW of wind power capacity in 2023 (new installations)
04
United States added about 13 GW of wind power capacity in 2023 (new installations)
05
India added about 1.7 GW of wind power capacity in 2023 (new installations)
06
Japan added about 6–7 GW of solar PV capacity in 2023 (new installations)
07
Germany added about 7–8 GW of solar PV capacity in 2023 (new installations)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption of renewables is clearly accelerating, with the EU rising to over 40% renewable electricity share in 2022 and reaching 36% in 2023 while major markets like China added more than 75 GW of wind in 2023 and the US added about 13 GW, supported by Japan adding roughly 6 to 7 GW of solar PV.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
$473 billion global investment in renewable energy in 2022 (total investments by year)
02
$1.2 trillion cumulative global renewable energy investments from 2017 to 2023 (reported cumulative)
03
The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for utility-scale wind declined to about $0.02–$0.05/kWh in 2023 scenarios
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost perspective, renewables are getting cheaper and drawing more capital, with 2022 investment reaching $473 billion, cumulative spending hitting $1.2 trillion from 2017 to 2023, and utility scale wind LCOE projected around $0.02 to $0.05 per kWh in 2023 scenarios.
report visual · Comparison
Renewables keep outpacing electricity demand
In 2023, renewable electricity generation growth outpaced overall electricity demand growth, alongside rising renewable generation and a higher renewables share of electricity.
2,807 TWh of renewable electricity generation occurred in 2023 worldwide2,807
IEA reports that renewable electricity generation growth outpaced overall electricity demand growth in 2023
2023
Renewables share of electricity generation reached 30% globally in 2023
30%
source-verifiediea.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). World Renewable Energy Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-renewable-energy-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "World Renewable Energy Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/world-renewable-energy-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "World Renewable Energy Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-renewable-energy-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)