Global wind energy growth continues with strong expansion led by China
According to preliminary figures from the World Wind Energy Association’s Annual Report 2025, global wind capacity additions exceeded 169GW in 2025, marking a 35% increase compared with 2024. Total installed capacity rose to nearly 1,347GW, representing the strongest annual growth since 2020. Wind power generation approached 3,000 terawatt-hours and supplied more than 11% of global electricity demand.
This expansion was largely driven by China, which provided 77% of new installations, adding 130GW in a single year. The country now accounts for more than half of total global wind capacity. Outside China, growth remained uneven. New installations reached 38.7GW, slightly above 2024 levels but below the 44GW recorded in 2023. Activity was concentrated in a limited number of markets, including India, Vietnam, Chile and Turkey, alongside more moderate contributions from established markets such as Germany and the USA.
The overall global growth rate reached 14.3% compared with 11.9% in 2024. Since 2016, only 2020 recorded a similar level of expansion. Among the top 30 markets, only a limited number exceeded the global average growth rate: Vietnam at 50.8%, Chile at 23.9%, China at 23.2% and Turkey at 15.5%. India was the next fastest growing market, reaching 13.1%.
Several previously strong markets showed more limited expansion. Germany grew by 6.3%, the USA by 4.1%, Spain by 3.3% and the UK by 3.1%. Brazil and France also slowed, with growth rates of 6.7% and 5.2%, respectively. Countries adding more than 2GW of new capacity in 2025 included China, India, the USA, Germany, Vietnam, Brazil and Turkey.
By the end of 2025, 46 countries had installed more than 1GW of wind capacity, two more than in 2024, with Serbia and Peru entering this group. Wind power generation exceeded 11% of global electricity demand, surpassing nuclear energy and approaching the contribution of some fossil sources. More than 30 countries now meet or exceed the global average share, with China reaching 10.8% and expected to move above the global average.
Twelve countries generated more than 20% of their electricity from wind, including Denmark, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland and Uruguay. Denmark remains a leading market, producing more than half of its electricity from wind.
Regionally, Asia continued to dominate. With China’s previously mentioned addition of over 130GW, it reached nearly 692GW of installed capacity in 2025. It is expected to maintain similar installation levels in the coming years, potentially reaching 1,000GW by 2027 or 2028. India added 6.3GW, surpassing 50GW total capacity, while Vietnam continued to expand rapidly, reaching 7.4GW and ranking 19th globally.
In Europe, performance was mixed. Markets such as Germany, France, Sweden, Turkey and Italy improved, while the UK, Spain, Poland and Finland recorded weaker results. Seven European countries installed more than 1GW in 2025 compared with five in 2024. Smaller markets including Belgium, Poland, Greece and Austria showed progress, while Eastern European countries such as Lithuania, Ukraine, Serbia and Estonia recorded strong growth.
In North America, the USA added just under 6.3GW, bringing total capacity close to 161GW. Canada installed just over 1GW, reaching 19.5GW, while Mexico remained at 8.7GW. In South America, Brazil added 2.2GW, while Chile expanded to 6.0GW. Argentina and Uruguay showed limited growth, and Peru exceeded 1GW.
In Oceania, Australia added 94MW, reaching 15.4GW, while New Zealand remained at 1.3GW. Across Africa, capacity remains limited despite strong potential. South Africa leads with 3.7GW, followed by Egypt and Morocco. Growth opportunities are increasingly linked to hybrid systems and mini-grids combining wind with solar and storage.
Overall, 2025 confirms the continued global expansion of wind energy but also highlights a widening regional concentration of growth. While a small number of markets continue to drive the majority of new installations, a growing group of countries is now reaching meaningful penetration levels in electricity systems. The coming years will show whether this expansion can broaden further and translate into more balanced global deployment.
Enjoy reading,
Floris Siteur
