The global wind industry installed a record 165 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity in 2025 , representing a 40% increase over the previous year, according to data from the latest report by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
The Global Wind Energy Report 2026 shows that, in a context of supply shocks and a sharp rise in international oil and gas prices, the wind sector continues to expand steadily as a key pillar of the energy transition.
Global wind power capacity reached 1,299 GW by the end of 2025 , with 138 countries using this source to power their economies.
Asia led the growth by a wide margin, with China and India at the forefront by installing 131 GW , equivalent to 80% of the global total.
In parallel, Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East also added significant volumes of new projects.
"The strong increase in global wind installations sets a new standard for an industry that is rapidly accelerating to meet the growing demand for local, affordable and resilient renewable energy," said Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC.
The report highlights that China and India together added more than 126 GW in 2025 .
China alone added more than 120 GW, while India nearly doubled its annual installations, reaching a record 6.3 GW.
In Europe, installed capacity exceeded 300 GW , with 19.1 GW added during the year (an increase of 16%).
This growth was driven primarily by Germany and Türkiye.
However, the pace is still insufficient to meet the European Union's climate and energy targets by 2030.
In the United States, onshore wind power installations grew by nearly 7 GW, reflecting the structural strength of the market.
Key findings from the 2026 report- Total installed capacity: 1,299 GW
- New capacity in 2025: 165 GW (+40%)
- Wind turbines installed: 28,395 in 57 countries
- Countries with wind energy: 138
Despite the growth, Backwell warned that the expansion remains uneven and that the world is still not on track to triple renewable capacity by 2030.
Factors such as bureaucracy and the slow expansion of electrical networks are hindering new developments.
The report also highlights that the top five markets – China, the United States, India, Germany, and Brazil – accounted for 86% of new installations in 2025 , and represent nearly 75% of total global capacity.
Global leadership in wind energy Country Installations 2025 (GW) Total capacity (GW) China 120.5 640.5 USA 6.9 161.2 India 6.3 54.5 Germany 5.7 77.7 Brazil 2.3 36.0Asia-Pacific consolidated its leadership with 80% of the global market.
China, in particular, continues to show exponential growth aligned with its goals of peak emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
India, meanwhile, increased its annual capacity by 86%, in line with its goal of reaching 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.
Africa and the Middle East also saw a record year, driven by South Africa and Saudi Arabia, where the Dawadmi wind farm stood out for its record low cost.
In contrast, Latin America and the Caribbean was the only region with a decline in new installations , affected in part by lower electricity demand and greater operational restrictions, especially in Brazil.
Expansion of the onshore and offshore marketGrowth was led by onshore wind power, with 155.3 GW installed (+42%) , while offshore wind added 9.3 GW (+16%) , approaching the global milestone of 100 GW.
China dominated both segments, while Europe and the United Kingdom also maintained significant activity in offshore.
Outlook towards 2030GWEC projects that an additional 969 GW will be installed between 2026 and 2030, with an annual average of 194 GW.
This would imply a compound annual growth rate of 5.2%.
China is expected to continue leading in the short term, but with greater geographical diversification towards the end of the decade, driven by emerging markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
If this trend continues, global wind power capacity could exceed 2 terawatts (TW) before 2030 , consolidating its central role in the global energy transition.