The Renewable capacity statistics 2026 report identifies solar power as the main driver of growth, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all renewable additions in 2025. Wind energy also grew significantly, with 159 GW (14%) added globally. Hydropower capacity increased by 18.4 GW (1.4%), bioenergy by 3.4 GW (2.3%) and geothermal energy by 0.3 GW (1.7%). IRENA notes that renewable power has notched up record additions almost every year since 2000.

The report highlights regional disparities in the overall renewables numbers. In 2025, Asia accounted for 74.2% of new capacity, bringing total capacity to 2,891 GW, or 56.1% of the global total. Most of this growth occurred in China (440.1 GW). Europe expanded by 76.8 GW (9%), with Germany adding over 20.5 GW. Ukraine saw a decline of more than 7.5 GW in 2024 and no change in 2025. North America grew by 42.1 GW (7.4%), led by the US. Africa achieved record growth, adding 11.3 GW (15.9%), mainly from Ethiopia, South Africa and Egypt. Oceania increased by 6.1 GW (8.6%), largely in Australia. Central America and the Caribbean expanded by 9.1% (1.8 GW), the highest since 2016. The Middle East recorded its highest growth rate at 28.9% (12.7 GW), with Saudi Arabia leading this expansion.

Solar photovoltaic power accounted for nearly all solar capacity growth, with 510.3 GW added in 2025. Asia has more than doubled its installed solar power capacity since 2022, adding 317.1 GW in 2024 and 371.2 GW in 2025. However, the largest capacity increases occurred in China (315.1 GW) and India (37 GW), followed by South Korea (3.7 GW). Outside Asia, the US added 34 GW of solar capacity in 2025 – a 19.2% increase over 2024 – followed by Germany (15.1 GW) and Brazil (11.6 GW).

Wind energy additions reached a record high of 158.7 GW in 2025 – 14% more than in the previous year, according to the report. China led the expansion, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the total capacity added (119.4 GW), while India added 6.3 GW. Other countries with significant capacity growth included the US, Germany, Brazil, Türkiye and France. Offshore wind accounted for about 1.8% of total renewable power capacity and 7.1% of total wind capacity.

Renewable hydropower capacity grew by 18.4 GW in 2025. According to IRENA, this was 2.5 times the increase seen in 2024, with 96% of the growth coming from China. Other countries with increases in hydro over 0.5 GW included Ethiopia, India, Tanzania, Bhutan, Vietnam, Canada, Austria, Indonesia and Nepal.

Bioenergy capacity grew by 3.4 GW in 2025. IRENA shared that this growth was led by Japan, which expanded its bioenergy capacity by 1.1 GW – more than double the 2024 additions (0.5 GW). China followed with a bioenergy expansion of 0.8 GW. Other countries with major increases were Brazil (0.6 GW), Chile (0.2 GW) and Belgium (0.1 GW).

Geothermal capacity grew at a similar rate to the previous year, adding 0.3 GW in 2025. IRENA indicated that the Philippines and Indonesia each contributed 0.1 GW, followed by Germany, Türkiye and Japan.

Commenting on the findings, IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera said: ‘In the midst of uncertain times, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion. This not only indicates market preference but also makes a strong case for renewable energy resilience with brutal clarity. A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient. Countries that invested in the energy transition are weathering this crisis with less economic damage, as they boost energy security, resilience and competitiveness.’

While renewable capacity reaches new highs, energy think tank Ember warns that grid constraints threaten Europe’s energy transition. The Crossed Wires report highlights that limited grid readiness has become a decisive barrier to the continent’s energy security and competitiveness goals.  

In many European countries, large volumes of renewables remain stuck in connection queues, manufacturers face multi-year delays in expanding production, and data centre developers relocate to regions with more secure and faster connections. Rising costs to manage grid congestion, ultimately borne by consumers, add further pressure. Additionally, the large volume of projects already in the queue for a grid connection agreement means new applicants are likely to face delays. Almost 700 GW of renewables are stuck in the grid connection queue across the eight reporting countries, highlighting the continued scale of demand for grid access.

Connection queues are compounding the issue. The report shows that, of the 13 countries publishing grid capacity data for distribution networks, six have insufficient headroom to accommodate expected growth in small-scale solar. This puts at least 16 GW of rooftop solar planned by 2030 at risk, potentially affecting up to 1.5 million households.

Ember lead author, Elisabeth Cremona, says that grid readiness should now be considered an indicator of economic readiness rather than a technical afterthought. The report warns that without rapid intervention, the continent’s security and competitiveness objectives are at risk.

Read the full IRENA report: Renewable capacity statistics 2026.