China’s total electricity consumption will reach 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025, more than double that of the United States, setting a record high, the National Energy Administration (NEA) announced on Saturday.
The 5% year-on-year increase means that for the first time in China’s history, annual electricity consumption exceeds 10 trillion kilowatt-hours, the highest in the world and more than the European Union, Russia, India and Japan combined, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing NEA data.
The main drivers of growth were tertiary industry and residential applications, including services including artificial intelligence cloud services.
According to the NEA, consumption in the tertiary industry increased by 8.2% to 1.99 trillion kWh, mainly due to a 48.8% increase in electric vehicle charging and battery replacement, and a 17% increase in information technology services amid strong demand for data centers and AI services.
On the other hand, electricity consumption in primary industries, including agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fishing, increased by 9.9% from the previous year to 149.4 billion kWh, and consumption in secondary industries, including manufacturing, construction, and mining, increased by 3.7% to 6.64 trillion kWh.
Household consumption, another key driver, reached 1.59 trillion kWh, an increase of 6.3% year-on-year, as last year’s heat wave caused electricity usage to reach record levels in several regions, including Henan, Shaanxi and Hubei provinces.
