Renewables still provided only 6% of global primary energy in 2025
The highly touted renewables provided only 6% of the world’s primary energy supply last year, according to the Statistical Review of World Energy, released earlier this week. Robert Lyman analyses the important overall statistical trends for the Friends of Science Society.
Fossil fuels provided 86% of the world’s primary energy in 2025
Robert Lyman/Friends of Science Society
Date: 4 July 2026
The Energy Institute has published the 2026 edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy, the well-known and frequently referenced annual report that was once published by British Petroleum.
I will focus on the important overall statistical trends, and to some extent on whether these trends reinforce or refute the views of those who advocate policies radically to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2025, total energy supply, as measured in exajoules (EJ), rose by 1.7% over 2024 to just over 600 EJ.
Oil continued to be the largest source, providing 201 EJ, or one third of the world’s needs, followed by coal, which provided 166 EJ. Natural gas provided almost 151 EJ. Thus, the three fossil fuels provided 518 EJ, or 86% of the world’s primary energy supply. Nuclear energy provided 31 EJ, Hydroelectricity 16 EJ and Renewables 35.45 EJ. The highly touted renewables thus provided only 6% of the world’s primary energy supply.
Global oil production in 2025 was 100.6 million barrels per day. The OECD countries produced one third of that production (33.237 million barrels per day) and the non-OECD countries produced 67.352 million barrels per day. In 2025, total liquids consumption was 106.5 million barrels per day, an increase of 1.4 million barrels per day from 2024.
Natural Gas
Global natural gas consumption in 2025 was 4,186 billion cubic metres, or 150.7 EJ, an increase of just 55 billion cubic metres over 2024. The United States was by far the largest consumer, with 913.4 billion cubic metres, followed by Russia, with 480 billion cubic metres and China with 441.9 billion cubic metres.
Global coal consumption in 2025 was 166 EJ, a slight increase of 0.68 EJ over 2024. China dominates the coal market, consuming 92.24 EJ, or 55.6% of the world’s total.
Global electricity generation in 2025 was 32,202 terawatt-hours (TWh), an increase of 857 TWh, or 3%, over 2024. Generation has grown rapidly since 2015. The largest electricity generator was China, with 10,575 TWh, or 33% of the world’s total, followed distantly by the United States with 4772 TWh, or 15 %.
Renewables
Global renewable energy generation in 2025 was 10,749 TWh, an increase of 867 TWh, or 8%, more than 2024.
Global emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent totalled 35,806 tonnes, an increase 1.1% from 2024. In 2025 the OECD produced only 11,161 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (31.2%), while the non-OECD countries produced 24,645 million tonnes (68.8%).
Decarbonization, to the extent that it is occurring, is largely the consequence of immense public expenditures in China, western Europe and some other OECD countries. The global data indicate that global emissions are increasing and that fossil fuels remain essential to economic activity and energy security.
For a more elaborate analysis by Lyman, see: here.
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