Renewable energy statistics in 2026 show a sector scaling fast on two fronts at once: record-breaking capacity buildouts (especially solar) and steadily rising shares of electricity generation. At the same time, the bottlenecks are shifting toward grids, permitting, and investment distribution (with major gaps between regions).
Renewable Energy Statistics (Top Highlights)
- Total global renewable power capacity: 4,448 GW at the end of 2024.
- Renewable capacity added in 2024: 585 GW (a 15.1% annual growth rate), representing 92.5% of total global power capacity expansion.
- Solar PV capacity (end of 2024): 1,865 GW after adding ~452 GW in 2024.
- Wind capacity (end of 2024): 1,133 GW.
- Renewables’ share of total installed power capacity: rose from 43% to 46.4% in 2024.
- Renewables’ share of global electricity: 32% in 2024 (up from 30.3% in 2023).
- Energy transition investment: reached a record $2.3T in 2025; spending on renewable energy was $690B and grid investment was $483B.
- Renewable energy jobs: 16.2 million in 2023 (up from 13.7 million in 2022).
Global Renewable Power Capacity (Record Scale)
Global renewable power capacity reached 4,448 GW at the end of 2024, after a 585 GW net increase during the year. Renewables made up 92.5% of total global power capacity expansion in 2024, underscoring how strongly new build is tilting toward clean generation.
Solar and wind accounted for nearly all net additions in 2024, with solar alone rising to 1,865 GW (up 32.2% year over year). Hydropower (excluding pumped storage) stood at 1,283 GW, and wind reached 1,133 GW by the end of 2024.
Renewable Power Capacity by Major Technology (End of 2024)
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar PV |
| 1,865 GW | ||
| Hydropower (excl. pumped) |
| 1,283 GW | ||
| Wind |
| 1,133 GW |
Max = 1865 GW. Widths: Solar PV 100.00%, Hydropower (excl. pumped) 68.79%, Wind 60.75%.
Renewables’ Share of Global Electricity Is Rising
Renewables supplied a record 32% of global electricity in 2024, up from 30.3% in 2023 (and 29.4% in 2022, per the same dataset cited by Reuters). In parallel, the IEA reports that renewables and nuclear together provided 40% of total generation in 2024 for the first time, and delivered 80% of the year’s increase in global electricity generation.
Renewables Share of Global Electricity (2022–2024)
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
| 29.4% | ||
| 2023 |
| 30.3% | ||
| 2024 |
| 32.0% |
Max = 32.0%. Widths: 2022 91.88%, 2023 94.69%, 2024 100.00%.
Investment in the Energy Transition Hit Record Levels
Capital flows have scaled alongside deployment. BloombergNEF estimates global energy transition investment reached $2.3 trillion in 2025. In that total, BNEF highlights $690B for renewable energy, $483B for grid investment, and $893B for electrified transport (including EVs and charging infrastructure).
The investment picture is still uneven globally: a small number of markets account for a large share of annual additions and related spending, while many regions with high resource potential lag due to financing costs, policy uncertainty, and grid constraints.
Costs and Economics: Renewables Keep a Strong Cost Advantage
Cost competitiveness remains a core driver of adoption. IRENA reports that in 2023 the global weighted-average LCOE of newly commissioned utility-scale solar PV, onshore wind, offshore wind, and hydropower fell versus 2022 (with solar PV showing the largest year-over-year reduction). IRENA also notes battery storage project costs dropped by 89% between 2010 and 2023.
IRENA’s analysis also frames renewables’ advantage relative to fossil alternatives in 2023: solar PV’s LCOE was 56% lower than the weighted-average fossil fuel-fired alternative, and onshore wind was 67% lower. In addition, IRENA estimates new renewable capacity added since 2000 reduced electricity-sector fuel costs in 2023 by at least $409B.
Renewable Energy Jobs: A Large (and Growing) Workforce
Renewables are also a major employment engine. IRENA and the ILO estimate global renewable energy employment reached 16.2 million in 2023, up from 13.7 million in 2022 (the largest annual increase on record in their series). Solar PV was the largest employer, supported by expanding manufacturing and installations.
Outlook to 2030: Additions Are Forecast to Stay Very High
Looking forward, the IEA expects annual renewable capacity additions to remain exceptionally large through the decade. In its main case, the IEA forecasts global annual renewable capacity additions rising from 666 GW in 2024 to almost 935 GW by 2030, with solar PV and wind accounting for the vast majority of new build. Across 2024–2030, the IEA projects global renewable capacity increasing by about 5,520 GW.
Sources
- IRENA (26 Mar 2025). “Record-Breaking Annual Growth in Renewable Power Capacity.” https://www.irena.org/News/pressreleases/2025/Mar/Record-Breaking-Annual-Growth-in-Renewable-Power-Capacity
- IRENA (17 Apr 2025). “Renewables in 2024: 5 Key Facts Behind a Record-Breaking Year.” https://www.irena.org/News/articles/2025/Apr/Renewables-in-2024-5-Key-Facts-Behind-a-Record-Breaking-Year
- IEA. “Renewables 2023 – Electricity.” https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2023/electricity
- IEA. “Renewables 2024 – Electricity.” https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2024/electricity
- IEA (24 Mar 2025). “Growth in global energy demand surged in 2024 to almost twice its recent average.” https://www.iea.org/news/growth-in-global-energy-demand-surged-in-2024-to-almost-twice-its-recent-average
- Reuters (8 Apr 2025). “Renewables provided record 32% of global electricity in 2024, Ember says.” https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/renewables-provided-record-32-global-electricity-2024-ember-says-2025-04-07/
- Reuters (8 May 2024). “Renewables provided record 30% of global electricity in 2023, Ember says.” https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/renewables-provided-record-30-global-electricity-2023-ember-says-2024-05-07/
- BloombergNEF (26 Jan 2026). “Energy Transition Investment Reached Record $2.3 Trillion in 2025.” https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/bloombergnef-finds-global-energy-transition-investment-reached-record-2-3-trillion-in-2025-up-8-from-2024/
- IRENA (24 Sep 2024). “Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023.” https://www.irena.org/Publications/2024/Sep/Renewable-Power-Generation-Costs-in-2023
- IRENA (1 Oct 2024). “Highest Annual Growth of Renewables Jobs in 2023, Reaching 16.2 Million.” https://www.irena.org/News/pressreleases/2024/Oct/Highest-Annual-Growth-of-Renewables-Jobs-in-2023-Reaching-16-point-2-Million