Electricity, gas, coal... In 2024, the planet will have broken all energy consumption records, according to the latest report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). After a decade of moderate growth (+1,3% per year between 2013 and 2023), global energy demand jumped by 2,2% last year. Electricity consumption was the main driver of this increase: +4,3% in one year, driven by increased use of air conditioners due to extreme temperatures, but also by the rapid electrification of transport, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the proliferation of data centers. Emerging and developing countries accounted for more than 80% of this increase, but even advanced economies saw their demand rise again (+0,9%), after several years of decline.
Historic decline in oil, soaring gas
Among fossil fuels, natural gas experienced the strongest growth: +2,7%, ahead of coal (+1%), while oil demand increased more modestly (+0,8%). A sign of the times: oil's share of global energy demand fell below 30% for the first time, compared to 46% in the 1970s. The rise of electric vehicles has limited the need for road transport, despite rising consumption for air transport and petrochemicals.
An increasingly electrified world, but not necessarily greener
The supply of low-carbon energy sources covered 80% of the increase in global electricity demand. With 700 gigawatts of new renewable capacity installed—a record for the 22nd consecutive year—and nuclear additions at their highest level in decades, low-carbon energies generated 40% of the world's electricity, an unprecedented level. But this remains insufficient in the face of continued growth in energy demand, especially in the most populous countries, where heat waves are driving increased coal consumption, such as in China and India.
