More than 70% of global renewable energy capacity added in 2024 was installed in Asia, underlining a growing regional imbalance in the global energy transition, according to new figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The agency’s Renewable Energy Statistics 2025 report shows that global renewable capacity increased by over 15% last year, reaching 582 gigawatts (GW). While the overall growth was strong, it remained uneven across regions.
Asia accounted for 71% of new renewable additions, while Europe and North America contributed 12.3% and 7.8% respectively. In contrast, Africa, Eurasia, Central America and the Caribbean collectively accounted for just 2.8% of global growth.
Africa’s renewable energy capacity grew by 7.2% in 2024, which IRENA described as a modest expansion given the continent’s “massive economic and development opportunities.”
“The renewable energy boom is transforming global energy markets,” said IRENA director-general Francesco La Camera. “However, the growing regional divide highlights that not everyone is benefiting equally from this transition.”
La Camera called for increased international support to address the disparities. “Bridging the investment gap requires targeted policies, international financing, and partnerships that unlock capital and technology where they are needed most,” he said.
UN Climate Change executive secretary Simon Stiell echoed the concern, noting that global efforts need to accelerate significantly to meet the COP28 goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030. “We need to move much further and faster, and make more progress on the key enablers for vulnerable developing countries,” he said.
According to IRENA, if current trends continue, global capacity will reach 10.3 terawatts (TW) by 2030—falling short of the 11.2TW target. To close the gap, the report said annual growth would need to average 16.6% for the remainder of the decade.
Solar and wind technologies continued to dominate new installations, together accounting for 97.5% of global additions in 2024. Solar added 453GW, while wind contributed 114GW.
Renewables made up 46.2% of total installed electricity capacity by the end of 2024, compared to 47.3% for fossil fuels. Renewable electricity generation rose by 5.6% in 2023, reaching 8,928 terawatt hours (TWh), while generation from non-renewable sources grew just 1.2%. Renewables supplied nearly 30% of global electricity by the end of that year.
IRENA reaffirmed its role as the lead agency responsible for tracking global progress toward the 2030 renewables goal, noting it will continue to monitor developments annually.
