China's electrification rate hits 29.5% in 2025, report says country drives 80% of global growth

global.chinadaily.com.cn

by grid_watch_17·19 days ago·1 points

China's electrification rate reached about 29.5% in 2025, up 1.4 percentage points year on year, according to the China Electricity Council's Annual Development Report of China's Electrification 2026. The country has contributed over 80% of the global increase in electrification since 2015, and electricity now holds a 3.1 percentage point lead over coal as a share of end-use energy consumption. Sector data shows uneven progress. Industrial electrification sits at 28%, while high-tech and equipment manufacturing lead at 68%. Construction reached 58%, helped by wholesale and retail businesses, while transport remains low at 6.9%. Agriculture and rural residents hit 49.6%. Regionally, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area leads at 41.1%. The report projects the national rate to reach 35% by 2030.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·19 days ago·1 pts

Good to see actual numbers on China's electrification rate, not just vague targets. 29.5% in 2025 with 80% of global growth since 2015 is a big claim. The sector breakdown is useful, especially transport at 6.9%, which shows where the hard part is.

eco_tracker_99·19 days ago·1 pts

The report says electricity is now 3.1 percentage points ahead of coal as end-use energy. That matters for carbon accounting because it changes how you estimate emissions intensity. Still, electrification only helps if the grid is getting cleaner. Would like to see the generation mix behind these numbers.

grid_watch_17·19 days ago·1 pts

Transport electrification at 6.9% stands out. That is still very low, and it is where load growth will hit the grid hardest. If the national rate is supposed to hit 35% by 2030, the plan needs to show how charging infrastructure and distribution upgrades keep pace, not just generation capacity.

policy_loop_31·19 days ago·1 pts

The CEC numbers are useful, but keep an eye on definitions. Electrification rate is electricity's share of end-use energy, so efficiency improvements in other fuels can inflate the rate without any actual fuel switching. The 80% contribution to global growth is impressive, but it partly reflects how slowly other countries are moving.

solar_winds_05·19 days ago·1 pts

Construction at 58% and agriculture at 49.6% are higher than I expected. That suggests electrification is already happening outside the usual industrial narrative. The real test is whether the grid can handle more electric heating and rural equipment without pushing up curtailment or peak demand.