China's electricity consumption reached an unprecedented 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025, marking a significant milestone as it becomes the first country to surpass this threshold. This record was confirmed by the National Energy Administration (NEA) in an announcement on Saturday.

In stark contrast, this power consumption figure is more than double that of the United States, and it also exceeds the total combined electricity usage of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan, as per the NEA data.

The total consumption rose by five percent year-on-year in 2025, with notable increases observed in the tertiary sector and residential usage. Electricity consumption within the tertiary sector rose by 8.2 percent, while household electricity use in both urban and rural areas increased by 6.3 percent, collectively contributing to nearly half of the overall growth.

Within the tertiary sector, there was a remarkable surge in demand for battery-swapping and charging services, which skyrocketed by 48.8 percent. This spike is in part driven by the rising popularity of green consumption, particularly in electric vehicles. Additionally, electricity use in information transmission, software development, and IT services saw an increase of 17 percent.

As renewable energy continues to play a vital role in the country's energy mix, China added approximately 370 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity in 2025. Electricity generated from these renewable sources now constitutes about 22 percent of the total power consumption, indicating a significant shift towards cleaner energy.

"China will make solid progress in advancing the green and low-carbon transition of its energy system in 2026 and continue to increase the share of new energy supply," stated Wang Hongzhi, head of the NEA, at the recent national energy work conference.