Energy Transition

This continent is set to use half of the world's electricity by 2025

Asia has been increasing its use of renewable electricity sources.

Asia has been increasing its use of renewable electricity sources. Image: Unsplash/natsuki

Katharina Buchholz
Data Journalist, Statista
  • Asia will use half of the world's electricity by 2025, according to the International Energy Agency.
  • China is the largest factor in this transformation, reports Statista.
  • Asia has been increasing its use of renewable electricity sources, but still relies on coal-fired electricity in many places.

In the year 2025, countries in Asia will use half of the electricity in the world. According to the International Energy Agency, Asia's share of global electricity consumption has been rising quickly from just around a quarter in the year 2000. China is the biggest factor in this transformation. While in 2000, it used just 10 percent of the world's energy, that share is predicted to be up to 33 percent in 2025.

While Chinese population growth has now reversed, a rising standard of living is still driving rising electricity demand, for example in air conditioning. Other large countries in Asia are expected to be growing in population until the second half of the current century, meaning even more demand for electricity as these nations are growing in the number of their people and the progress of their development. Asia has been increasing its use of renewable electricity sources but, in part because of its giant demand, also relies on coal-fired electricity in many places. China, for example, has hugely grown both electricity sources in tandem.

Despite the ongoing construction in coal-power plants, emissions caused in China are expected to begin falling soon while remaining on a high level. Because of their different developmental timelines, emissions from other Asian nations are expected to keep rising. However, their individual share in Asian emissions is much smaller to be begin with.

Charts showing the share of global electricity demand, by world region
Asia is expected to use half of the world's electricity by 2025. Image: Statista/International Energy Agency
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