Asia powers 4,589TWh renewables in 2024, driving record global growth

Solar and wind delivered the strongest gains across the region.

Asia led global renewable electricity generation in 2024, producing 4,589 terawatt-hours (TWh), up 14.3% from a year earlier, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

IRENA said in its Renewable Energy Statistics 2026 report that renewables accounted for 31.7% of global electricity generation in 2024. Solar and wind remained the main contributors to renewable electricity generation growth.

In Asia, growth came from all renewable technologies, with solar and wind recording the strongest increases.

Globally, renewable electricity generation recorded its fastest annual growth on record in 2024, increasing 9.8% to 9,836TWh, whilst non-renewable generation rose 1.4%.

“The world is rallying behind electrification as a cornerstone of the energy transition, with renewable electricity as its driving force,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA.

La Camera added that the “growing support for global electrification reflects a shared recognition that clean electricity strengthens energy security, resilience, and competitiveness.”

The agency said its data showed that meeting the incoming COP31 Presidency of Türkiye’s proposed target for electricity to account for 35% of final energy demand by 2035 would require a significant increase in renewable electricity generation.

Renewables would need to increase their share of global electricity generation to 78% by 2035 from 31.7% in 2024, it said.

It also revised its renewable capacity figures for 2025, saying annual renewable capacity additions reached a record 693 gigawatts.

This lifted global renewable capacity to 5.2 terawatts by the end of 2025, equivalent to 49.5% of total installed power capacity.

Renewables accounted for 85.7% of total capacity additions in 2025, down from 92.7% in 2024.