The global energy landscape is shifting, reflecting a growing emphasis on renewable energy sources and the evolving nature of global energy consumption patterns. In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for almost ** percent of global primary energy demand, but this figure is projected to decrease to approximately **Â percent by 2050.
China's energy consumption leadership
Since the beginning of the 2000s, global energy consumption has recorded an average increase of *** percent year-over-year, reaching *** exajoules in 2024. China has emerged as the world's largest consumer and producer of energy, using approximately *** exajoules of primary energy in 2024. The country’s energy consumption has recorded a steep growth over the last *** decades, overtaking the United States -the second-largest energy supplier and consumer - around 2005. The country's dominance in energy consumption underscores its pivotal role in shaping global energy trends and environmental policies.
Fossil fuels and the rise of renewables
Although fossil fuels continue to dominate global primary energy consumption, the energy landscape is evolving, with renewable energy sources gaining ground. Investment in renewable energy has grown to over *** billion U.S. dollars per year in 2024, signaling a gradual shift towards more sustainable energy solutions. Although clean energy spending requirements for meeting the Paris Agreement targets are higher, this trend is expected to continue, potentially reshaping the global energy mix in the coming decades.
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OPEC. (March 17, 2026). Distribution of primary energy demand worldwide from 2020 to 2024 with a forecast for 2050, by fuel type [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from /statistics/283439/global-fuel-shares-by-source/
OPEC. "Distribution of primary energy demand worldwide from 2020 to 2024 with a forecast for 2050, by fuel type." Chart. March 17, 2026. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 14, 2026. /statistics/283439/global-fuel-shares-by-source/
OPEC. (2026). Distribution of primary energy demand worldwide from 2020 to 2024 with a forecast for 2050, by fuel type. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 14, 2026. /statistics/283439/global-fuel-shares-by-source/
OPEC. "Distribution of Primary Energy Demand Worldwide from 2020 to 2024 with a Forecast for 2050, by Fuel Type." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 17 Mar 2026, /statistics/283439/global-fuel-shares-by-source/
OPEC, Distribution of primary energy demand worldwide from 2020 to 2024 with a forecast for 2050, by fuel type ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/283439/global-fuel-shares-by-source/ (last visited July 14, 2026)
Distribution of primary energy demand worldwide from 2020 to 2024 with a forecast for 2050, by fuel type [Graph], OPEC, March 17, 2026. [Online]. Available: /statistics/283439/global-fuel-shares-by-source/