Projected electricity generation worldwide 2015-2050

Electricity generation worldwide is forecast to triple in the next three decades, when compared to 2020, reaching 83,000 terawatt-hours by 2050. Global electricity generation is projected to surpass 30,000 terawatt-hours by 2025.

Electrification and decarbonization

The growth in worldwide power generation will largely be driven by decarbonization efforts, including the electrification of the transportation and building sectors. For example, all vehicle types in the global urban fleet will become increasingly electrified by 2030. By 2050, electric vehicles are projected to command more than 80 percent of the worldwide car market.
In the building sector, efforts to decarbonize heating systems also rely on electricity. Annual sales of electric heat pumps are forecast to skyrocket in the coming years.

Global electricity trends

Since 1990, global power generation has increased every year except in 2009, following the global financial crisis, and in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing power demand is the result of a variety of factors, including economic development and increasing access to electricity throughout the world.