The rapid development of the digital economy and new technologies has created new demand for electricity.
According to data published by the National Energy Administration (NEA) of China, the total electricity consumption in China exceeded the 10 trillion kWh mark for the first time in 2025, reaching 10.4 trillion kWh, an increase of 5 percent year-on-year. Thus, China became the first country in the world with an annual electricity consumption of more than 10 trillion kWh.
Yang Kun, the permanent vice-chairman of the China Electricity Council, noted that the record electricity consumption for 2025 reflects the solid foundation of China's manufacturing industry and the improvement of the country's industrial structure towards high technology and high added value, and in turn serves as compelling evidence of the resilience and long-term stability of the Chinese economy, as well as China's commitment to green transformation and a low-carbon transition.
According to NEA statistics, in 2025, electricity consumption in the primary and secondary sectors of China's economy increased by 9.9 percent and 3.7 percent year-on-year, respectively, reaching 149.4 billion and 6.6366 trillion kWh, while in the tertiary sector, this figure rose by 8.2 percent to 1.9942 trillion kWh. Electricity consumption for household needs of urban and rural households reached 1.588 trillion kWh, with an increase of 6.3 percent year-on-year.
It is worth noting that it took China just over ten years to increase its annual electricity consumption from 5 trillion to 10 trillion kWh. Such growth rates are unique among the largest economies in the world, which not only confirms China's strength as a major manufacturing country but also indicates a comprehensive enhancement of the country's energy supply capacity.
With the accelerated development of productive forces of a new quality, the high-tech manufacturing industry has become the main driver of electricity consumption growth in China.
In 2025, electricity consumption in the new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturing and wind power equipment sectors sharply increased - by more than 20 percent and more than 30 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the rapid development of the digital economy and new technologies has created new demand for electricity. The accelerated construction of new infrastructure, such as 5G base stations and charging stations, has led to an increase in electricity consumption in the internet sector and related services by more than 30 percent. Notably, electricity consumption in the battery charging and swapping sector soared by nearly 50 percent in 2025.
China's electricity system has withstood the dual challenges posed by the growth in electricity consumption and the modernization of the electricity consumption structure.
Statistics show that China's share of the total installed capacity of power plants worldwide is one-third; currently, for every 3 kWh of electricity consumed in China, approximately 1 kWh is generated from clean energy sources.
By the end of November 2025, the total installed capacity of wind and solar power plants in China reached 1.76 billion kW, an increase of 34 percent compared to the previous year. Throughout 2025, the share of non-fossil fuel power plants in the structure of the total installed capacity of power plants in the country exceeded 60 percent.
In 2025, the capacity of trans-regional electricity transmission in China reached 370 million kW. Currently, there are 46 ultra-high voltage transmission lines in the country, which have allowed for the consolidation of the national electricity transmission network from west to east and from north to south.
According to forecasts, during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the average annual growth rate of electricity consumption in China is expected to be between 4.2 and 5.6 percent, and by 2030 it could exceed 13 trillion kWh.
According to the State Grid Corporation of China, from 2021 to 2025, capital investments in fixed assets in China's electricity sector exceeded 2.8 trillion yuan (about 400 billion USD). In particular, this figure exceeded 650 billion yuan in 2025. During the 15th Five-Year Plan, such investments are expected to reach 4 trillion yuan, which will primarily go towards promoting scientific and technological innovations and building a new type of electricity system.
