Global energy consumption outlook - statistics & facts
Global primary energy consumption more than doubled between 2000 and 2022, and is forecast to continue to grow in the next decades because of increasing demand from emerging markets, albeit at a slower pace. As of 2022, the United States was the second-largest primary energy consumer after China, but projections indicate that India will overtake the North American country by 2050. Despite global investments in clean energy sources surpassing fossil fuels’ investments in 2023, a scenario based on energy policies and targets as of July 2024 shows that oil will remain the leading primary energy source until 2035, while natural gas and renewables will share the podium in 2050.
Growing energy consumption and the transition to electricity will impact renewable energy demand, causing it to double between 2022 and 2050.
Projected energy consumption in developed and emerging markets
Rather than developed economies, emerging economies are the largest energy consumers in the world. Energy consumption in developed markets is bound to further decrease because of declining population growth, energy efficiency gains, economic shifts away from energy-intensive industrial sectors, and the use of modern renewable energy technologies for electricity generation. In Europe, natural gas supply disruptions since 2022 have caused a lingering decline in gas demand, together with a re-orientation towards coal and more emphasis on renewables. In North America, new tariffs imposed by the U.S. in 2025 would impact fossil fuel consumption, likely slowing down oil demand and driving gas prices up. By comparison, energy consumption in developing markets is experiencing an accelerated growth due to growing population, more widespread affordability and accessibility of the electricity grid, wealthier lifestyles, and the spread of off-grid energy generation technologies.Growing global electricity consumption
Final electricity consumption is projected to increase worldwide, recording the largest growth in Latin America, Middle-East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. The global electrification trend, marked by the transition from fossil fuels to electricity-powered technologies, such as heat pumps and electric vehicles, is accompanied by growing electricity demand from data centers. Data centers, including artificial intelligence, are projected to reach one petawatt-hour of electricity consumption by 2030, or 3.7 percent of the global power demand.Growing energy consumption and the transition to electricity will impact renewable energy demand, causing it to double between 2022 and 2050.
