Wire flash
China Electricity Council: China's electrification rate reached 29.5% in 2025, surpassing major developed economies
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
On September 22, the China Electricity Council released the 'China Electrification Annual Development Report 2026' at the 2026 New Power System Development (Chongli) Forum. The report states that in 2025, China's electrification rate reached approximately 29.5%, up 1.4 percentage points from the previous year, surpassing major developed economies in Europe and America. Electricity became the largest terminal energy source in China, accounting for 3.1 percentage points more than coal. China has been the main driver of global electrification since 2015, contributing over 80% to the world's electrification rate increase. Regionally, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area led with 41.1%, while the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle surpassed 30% for the first time. The report forecasts that by 2029, China's national electrification rate will exceed 34%, maintaining its contribution to global growth at around 80%. It also notes that achieving higher global electrification targets by 2035 will require international cooperation and increased clean energy investment, especially amid recent international energy market volatility.
Source report
Beijing, September 22 — The China Electrification Annual Development Report 2026 (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"), compiled by the China Electricity Council, was officially released at the 2026 New Power System Development (Chongli) Forum.
Key National Figures
According to the Report, China's electrification rate reached approximately 29.5% in 2025, an increase of 1.4 percentage points year-on-year. This rate has now surpassed that of major advanced economies in Europe and North America. Electricity has become the largest source of end-use energy in China, accounting for 3.1 percentage points more of total end-use energy consumption than coal, the second-largest energy source.
China has emerged as the primary driver of global electrification, contributing over 80% to the global increase in the electrification rate since 2015.
Regional Breakdown
By Geographic Region
| Region | Electrification Rate (2025) | Year-on-Year Change | |---|---|---| | Eastern China | ~30.9% | +1.4 pp | | Central China | ~27.2% | +1.0 pp | | Western China | ~30.4% | +1.5 pp | | Northeast China | ~17.2% | +1.1 pp |
By Key Economic Zones
| Zone | Electrification Rate (2025) | Year-on-Year Change | |---|---|---| | Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei | ~23.0% | +0.8 pp | | Yangtze River Delta | ~34.6% | +1.5 pp | | Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area | ~41.1% | +1.2 pp | | Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle | ~30.2% | +1.0 pp |
- The Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle's electrification rate exceeded 30% for the first time, roughly on par with Japan's 2023 level.
- All provinces recorded positive growth in electrification rates.
- Guangdong surpassed 40%.
- Qinghai, Zhejiang, Yunnan, and Jiangsu each exceeded 35%.
Sectoral Performance
Industry
- Overall industrial electrification rate: ~28.0% (+1.2 pp year-on-year)
- Four major high-energy-consuming industries: ~18.2% (+0.4 pp)
- High-tech and equipment manufacturing: ~68.0% (+1.2 pp)
- Consumer goods manufacturing: ~45.8% (+0.7 pp)
Buildings
- Building electrification rate: ~58.0% (+2.1 pp)
- Wholesale, retail, accommodation, and catering sectors: 68.6% (+3.5 pp)
Transportation
- Transportation electrification rate: ~6.9% (+0.9 pp)
Agriculture and Rural Areas
- Agricultural and rural residential electrification rate: 49.6% (+2.1 pp), driven by expanded adoption of electrical equipment and improved clean power supply infrastructure.
Outlook
The Report projects that over the next three years, electrification rates in industry, agriculture, and rural residential sectors will maintain steady growth, while the building and transportation sectors are expected to accelerate. This is anticipated to push the national electrification rate above 34% by 2029, with China's contribution to global electrification growth remaining at approximately 80%.
As China's modern industrial system accelerates its transformation toward intelligence, green development, and integration, the country's low-carbon electrification rate is expected to increase by approximately 13 percentage points over the next decade—30% higher than the overall electrification rate increase over the same period.
Global Context
The Report notes that achieving sustained, rapid growth in the global electrification rate remains a significant challenge in the context of climate change. Following severe volatility in international energy markets since late February, strategic expectations for the global energy transition have further strengthened.
By 2035, the global electrification rate is projected to reach approximately 30%. To achieve higher electrification targets beyond this level, the Report calls for:
- Greater efforts by all countries to promote clean, low-carbon transformation in industrial and residential energy supply and consumption.
- Strengthening the core driving role of accelerated, high-quality development of new energy sources.
- Improving the financing environment for global low-carbon electrification transitions.
- Establishing robust supporting mechanisms for cooperation and assistance.
- Effectively boosting confidence and determination among all parties to jointly advance electrification development.
Editor: Liu Wanli SF014
Source
新浪财经Eastern