Global Wind Power Hits Record 169 Gigawatts in 2025, Outpacing Nuclear Energy
Published · Updated · 3 min read
Wind energy had its biggest year ever in 2025, adding 169 gigawatts of new capacity worldwide. That is a 35 percent jump from 2024, bringing total installed wind power to 1,346 gigawatts globally.
The milestone means wind turbines now cover more than 11 percent of global electricity demand, surpassing nuclear energy’s share of the power grid for the first time.
A Year of Record Growth
The first half of 2025 alone saw 72.2 gigawatts installed between January and June, a 64 percent increase over the same period in 2024.
Wind turbines generated close to 3,000 terawatt-hours of electricity across the year. Combined with solar, the two sources supplied 17.6 percent of global electricity in the first three quarters of 2025, up from 15.2 percent a year earlier.
The annual growth rate of 14.3 percent was the highest since 2020, confirming wind as one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the world.
China Drives Nearly All New Capacity
China was responsible for approximately 77 percent of all new wind capacity added in 2025. The country installed 130 gigawatts of new wind power, a 49 percent increase over its 86.9 gigawatts added in 2024.
By year-end, China’s cumulative wind capacity surpassed 691 gigawatts, accounting for more than 50 percent of total global installed wind power. Analysts say the country could reach 1,000 gigawatts of wind capacity between 2027 and 2028.
Much of the 2025 surge reflected the completion of projects delayed from the previous year, when China fell slightly short of its 100-gigawatt annual target.
Other Markets Show Mixed Results
Outside China, the rest of the world added 38.7 gigawatts, an 11.7 percent increase over 2024 but below the 44 gigawatts installed in 2023.
India emerged as the second-largest market for new wind installations, adding 6.3 gigawatts and overtaking the United States, which also added approximately 6.3 gigawatts. Vietnam posted a 50.8 percent growth rate year-over-year, while Germany added 4.6 gigawatts and Brazil, Turkey, and Spain each contributed between 2 and 2.2 gigawatts.
In Europe, wind and solar together generated 30 percent of EU electricity in 2025, the first time renewables exceeded fossil fuels across a full calendar year in the bloc. Fossil fuels accounted for 29 percent.
U.S. Growth Clouded by Policy Uncertainty
The United States added roughly 6.3 gigawatts of new wind capacity in 2025, a 36 percent increase from the prior year. Wind generation totaled 464,000 gigawatt-hours, a 3 percent rise over 2024.
However, turbine orders fell 50 percent in the first half of the year, the lowest order volume since 2020. The drop followed regulatory changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and executive orders affecting tax credit rules for renewable energy projects.
The International Energy Agency cut its U.S. renewable capacity growth forecast by 50 percent for the 2025 to 2030 period, citing those policy shifts as a major factor.
What Comes Next
The Global Wind Energy Council forecasts consecutive record installation years through 2030, projecting 140 gigawatts in 2026, rising to 194 gigawatts by 2030.
Offshore wind is expected to grow fastest, with annual installations projected to rise from 16 gigawatts in 2025 to 34 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
The long-term industry target is 10,000 gigawatts of global wind capacity by 2050, enough to supply 40 percent of worldwide electricity demand.
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