Coal, natural gas and oil remained the world's largest sources of electricity in 2025, accounting for 57 per cent of global power generation despite rapid expansion in renewable energy, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center based on data from Ember.
The findings show that while the share of electricity generated from fossil fuels has declined from 65 per cent in 2000 to 57 per cent last year, hydrocarbons continue to dominate the global power mix as electricity demand rises faster than new generation capacity is being deployed.
Wind and solar recorded the strongest growth among all power sources during the period under review. Combined, they contributed 17 per cent of global electricity generation in 2025, compared with less than 5 per cent a decade earlier.
The report noted that when wind and solar are combined with hydropower, geothermal and tidal energy, renewable sources collectively generate more electricity than fossil fuels. Hydropower continues to account for a significant portion of renewable electricity because of its long-established role in global energy systems.
Despite the expansion of renewables, nuclear energy's contribution continued to decline. Its share of global electricity generation fell from 17 per cent in 2000 to 9 per cent in 2025.
According to the analysis, rising global electricity consumption has outpaced the growth of new power generation capacity, increasing reliance on conventional fuels that can provide stable, on-demand electricity.
The findings are broadly consistent with the Energy Institute's Statistical Review of World Energy, which reported that fossil fuels still account for approximately 86 per cent of global primary energy consumption.
The report also found that although fossil fuels now account for a smaller proportion of global electricity generation than two decades ago, total electricity produced from coal, oil and natural gas has continued to increase because of growing demand.
China remains at the centre of that trend. The country has installed more wind and solar capacity than any other nation while also remaining the world's largest consumer of coal and the biggest builder of new coal-fired power plants.
According to the report, this reflects the gap between expanding renewable generation capacity and meeting rapidly increasing electricity demand.
The European Union presented a contrasting picture. Data analysed by Ember show that 48 per cent of the bloc's electricity was generated from non-hydrocarbon sources in 2025, while coal- and gas-fired plants accounted for 29 per cent of total electricity generation.
The latest assessment suggests that although renewable energy continues to expand across global electricity markets, fossil fuels remain the primary source of power generation, underscoring the continuing role of conventional energy in meeting rising electricity demand worldwide.