China's electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (kWh) was 1.11 trillion in 2021, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 1,064% from 95 billion in 2011 (27.82% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 1.11 trillion | 2021 |
| Five years earlier | 369.14 billion | 2016 |
| Ten years earlier | 95 billion | 2011 |
| Highest | 1.11 trillion | 2021 |
| Lowest | 68 million | 1990 |
| Average since 2012 | 489.64 billion | 2012–2021 |
| First recorded | 68 million |
What the numbers say
In 2021, China's electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (kWh) rose 33.5% on 2020 (from 827.83 billion to 1.11 trillion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +52.5% and a typical year strayed about 99.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 510.9% in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 46.8% in 1996. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is upward, about 102.98 billion a year. A straight line explains 94% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2021, China had the 1st highest value of the 208 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| China | 1.11 trillion | 2021 |
| World | 3.56 trillion | 2021 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 1.46 trillion | 2021 |
| Upper middle income | 1.53 trillion | 2021 |
Closest to China in the 2021 ranking
- United States — 2nd of 208: 612.8 billion
- Germany — 3rd of 208: 211.14 billion
- India — 4th of 208: 150.63 billion
What this measures
Electricity production from renewable sources in kilowatt-hour (kWh), excluding hydroelectric, includes geothermal, solar, tides, wind, biomass, and biofuels.
Limitations: IEA occasionally revises its time series to reflect political changes. For example, the IEA has constructed historical energy statistics for countries of the former Soviet Union. In addition, energy statistics for other countries have undergone continuous changes in coverage or methodology in recent years as more detailed energy accounts have become available. Breaks in series are therefore unavoidable.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 32 values
| Year | Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (kWh) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,105,540,040,000 |
| 2020 | 827,826,430,000 |
| 2019 | 713,504,210,000 |
| 2018 | 611,976,560,000 |
| 2017 | 483,428,780,000 |
| 2016 | 369,137,630,000 |
| 2015 | 266,840,190,000 |
| 2014 | 210,163,860,000 |
| 2013 | 176,429,890,000 |
| 2012 | 131,598,030,000 |
Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (kWh) in nearby economies
- American Samoa — 6.83 million (2021)
- Australia — 55.6 billion (2021)
- Brunei Darussalam — 1.12 million (2021)
- Cambodia — 507.94 million (2021)
- Fiji — 108.96 million (2021)
- French Polynesia — 3.88 million (2021)
- Guam — 83.7 million (2021)
- Hong Kong SAR, China — 310.09 million (2021)
More environment data for China
- Population in largest city — 30.48 million (2025)
- Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 3.27% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 460.16 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 32.72% (2025)
- Rural population — 473.41 million (2025)
- Rural population (% of total population) — 33.66% (2025)
- Urban population — 933.17 million (2025)
- Urban population (% of total population) — 66.34% (2025)
- Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 81.95 million (2024)
- Capture fisheries production (metric tons)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is China's electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (kWh)?
- 1.11 trillion in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1990?
- It is up 1.63 million% from 68 million in 1990 (36.72% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.11 trillion in 2021 and the lowest 68 million in 1990.
- How does China rank?
- 1st highest of 208 economies with data for 2021.
- Is the latest change in electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (kWh) unusual for China?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EG.ELC.RNWX.KH, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA), uri: https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/energy-statistics-data-browser, publisher: International Energy Agency (IEA), date accessed: 2025-03-25 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
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