Data case study

The Real Movers

Who actually shifted to renewable energy, 2014–2024

In 2024, for the first time, wind and solar supplied more of the world's energy than hydropower. Over the decade the world's renewable share rose from 9.7% to 14.8% of primary energy, and almost all of that came from wind and solar. Hydro's share slipped.

That changes who counts as a leader. Iceland, Norway and Canada top most rankings because of rivers and dams built decades ago. This project separates countries that already had renewables from countries that moved.

Measure
Hydro Wind Solar Other renewables

Figure 1 · World

Wind and solar passed hydropower in 2024

Renewable share of the world total, stacked by source. Percent.

Figure 2 · Countries

Already there, or actually moving?

Each dot is a country. Across: its renewable share in 2014. Up: how many percentage points it gained by 2024. Iceland, Norway and Canada barely moved. Sweden and Brazil, also hydro-rich, kept climbing on wind and solar. The largest gains came from countries that started in the middle or near the bottom.

Colour shows the source that added the most share. Hover for detail; click a dot to open it in Figure 4.

Figure 3 · Where the change came from

The biggest gains came from wind and solar

Change in each source's share, 2014 to 2024, in percentage points. Bars left of zero are losses. The dot marks the net change.

Figure 4 · Explorer

One country, source by source

Stacked share by source. The dashed line is the world total for comparison.

Show the full table

Method

  • All energy: renewables as a share of primary energy, using the substitution method. Wind, solar and hydro are counted as the fossil fuel input they would replace, so they are not undercounted against fuels that lose energy as heat.
  • Electricity: renewables as a share of electricity generation. This is the larger number people usually quote.
  • "Other renewables" covers biofuels, bioenergy, geothermal and similar sources.
  • Change is 2024 minus 2014, in percentage points. 2025 electricity data is still incomplete, so it is left out.

Coverage, plainly

    Sources

    • Primary energy: Energy Institute, Statistical Review of World Energy.
    • Electricity: Ember and Energy Institute.
    • Both compiled by Our World in Data, owid/energy-data (CC BY 4.0). Downloaded 1 October 2026.