Fossil fuels continued to account for the largest share of global electricity generation in 2025, supplying 57 per cent of the world’s power despite the rapid expansion of renewable energy.

This is according to a report by the Pew Research Center, based on data from energy think tank Ember and the Energy Institute.

The report showed that electricity generated from coal, oil and natural gas has declined from 65 per cent in 2000 to 57 per cent last year. However, the Energy Institute said the three fuels still account for about 86 per cent of global primary energy consumption, a figure that has remained largely unchanged over the past two decades.

Renewable energy continued to gain momentum, with wind and solar contributing 17 per cent of global electricity generation in 2025, up from less than five per cent a decade earlier. Combined with hydropower, geothermal and tidal energy, renewables produced a larger share of electricity than fossil-fuel-based sources.

The report also noted that nuclear power’s contribution has fallen over the years, dropping from 17 per cent of global electricity generation in 2000 to nine per cent last year.

According to the Energy Institute, coal and natural gas remain key sources of electricity because they can provide reliable power on demand, unlike wind and solar, which depend on weather conditions.

It added that global electricity demand is increasing faster than new power generation capacity is being added, leading to continued growth in fossil fuel consumption even as renewable energy expands.

The report highlighted China as the world’s biggest investor in wind and solar energy while also remaining the largest consumer of coal. It said the country’s energy profile illustrates that increasing renewable capacity does not necessarily translate into an immediate reduction in fossil fuel use.

In the European Union, non-fossil fuel sources generated a larger share of electricity than coal- and gas-fired plants in 2025. Ember’s data showed that non-hydrocarbon sources accounted for 48 per cent of the bloc’s electricity generation, compared with 29 per cent from fossil fuels.

In Nigeria, gas-fired power plants continue to dominate electricity generation, supplying about 70 per cent of the country’s electricity.