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Global electricity generation has increased significantly over the past three decades, rising from less than 12,000 terawatt-hours in 1990 to over 30,000 terawatt-hours in 2024. During this period, electricity generation worldwide only registered an annual decline twice: in 2009, following the global financial crisis, and in 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Sources of electricity generation

The share of global electricity generated from clean energy sources –including renewables and nuclear power- amounted to almost 40 percent in 2024, up from approximately 32 percent at the beginning of the decade. Despite this growth, fossil fuels are still the main source of electricity generation worldwide. In 2024, almost 60 percent of the electricity was produced by coal and natural gas-fired plants. 

Regional differences

Water, wind, and sun contribute to making Latin America and the Caribbean the region with the largest share of renewable electricity generated in the world. By comparison, several European countries rely on nuclear energy. However, the main electricity sources in the United States and China, the leading economic powers of the world, are respectively natural gas and coal.