Gas share in global power mix has declined for a fifth consecutive year

The share of gas in the global power mix fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, dropping from 23.9% in 2020 to 21.8%. While absolute global gas generation has not yet peaked, its growth rate slowed from 2.9% (2016-2020) to 1.6% (2021-2025) as solar and wind met approximately 68% of global electricity demand growth over the last five years. By 2025, 61 out of 124 gas-generating economies had passed their historical gas generation peaks. In the G7, renewable power (2,544 TWh) nearly equaled gas power (2,577 TWh) in 2025. Conversely, gas remains central to the power sectors of the US and Canada, and continues to support demand in parts of North and West Africa.

• The share of gas in the global electricity mix decreased for five straight years, falling from 23.9% in 2020 to 21.8% in 2025, as renewable energy growth outpaced electricity demand.
• Gas's contribution to meeting new global electricity demand has dropped significantly, from an average of 33% between 2001-2005 and 31% between 2016-2020, to approximately 11% between 2021-2025. In 2025, gas accounted for less than 5% of global demand growth.
• Nearly half of the world's gas-generating economies have passed their peak; 61 out of 124 such economies had gas-fired generation remain below their historical peak for at least five consecutive years by 2025.
• In the G7, renewable power generation (2,544 TWh) almost matched gas power generation (2,577 TWh) in 2025, contributing to clean power overtaking fossil power in the G7 mix.
• Major emerging economies Brazil, China, and India are meeting electricity demand growth with limited gas reliance. China's gas share was near 3% in 2025, while India's share fell to 2.3% and Brazil's to 7.3% by 2025.
• The United States saw the largest increase in gas generation between 2015 and 2025, adding 474 TWh, which represents nearly one-third of all global gas growth in that period.
• Geopolitical events, specifically Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and 2026 LNG disruptions related to the US-Israel war with Iran, have accelerated the shift toward renewables by highlighting the risks of import-dependent gas systems.

APA

Wiatros-Motyka, M. (2026). Gas share in global power mix has declined for a fifth consecutive year. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/06/Gas-share-in-global-power-mix-has-declined-for-a-fifth-consecutive-year-1.pdf

Chicago

Wiatros-Motyka, Malgorzata. Gas share in global power mix has declined for a fifth consecutive year. Ember, 2026. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/06/Gas-share-in-global-power-mix-has-declined-for-a-fifth-consecutive-year-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wiatros-Motyka |first1=Malgorzata |title=Gas share in global power mix has declined for a fifth consecutive year |publisher=Ember |date=9 June 2026 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/06/Gas-share-in-global-power-mix-has-declined-for-a-fifth-consecutive-year-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wiatrosmotyka2026gas, author = {Wiatros-Motyka, Malgorzata}, title = {{Gas share in global power mix has declined for a fifth consecutive year}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/06/Gas-share-in-global-power-mix-has-declined-for-a-fifth-consecutive-year-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }