- The global wind industry installed 165 GW of new capacity in 2025, a 40% increase over the previous year. Total cumulative capacity reached 1,299 GW across 138 countries.
- Asia‑Pacific accounted for 131 GW (80%) of new additions, with China adding 120.5 GW and India 6.3 GW.
- Europe added 19.1 GW (surpassing 300 GW total) but still falls short of the pace needed to meet 2030 targets. GWEC warns that bureaucratic red tape and slow grid roll‑out hinder progress.
The Global Wind Energy Council’s 2026 report paints a picture of both triumph and urgency. On the one hand, the world added a record 165 gigawatts of wind capacity in 2025, a 40% jump from 2024, pushing global capacity to 1.299 terawatts across 138 countries. But the surge came despite supply shocks and soaring fossil‑fuel prices caused by the Iran conflict, underscoring wind power’s resilience.
The 2025 story was all about Asia. The Asia‑Pacific region delivered 131 GW of new installations, accounting for 80% of the global total. China alone installed 120.5 GW, thanks to strong policy support and a new market‑oriented pricing mechanism, while India nearly doubled its annual additions to 6.3 GW.
GWEC CEO Ben Backwell noted that the “steep increase sets a new benchmark” and shows wind power’s ability to compete with fossil fuels even in fast‑growing economies.
Elsewhere, growth was more modest. Europe added 19.1 GW, up 16% but still below the annual rate needed to meet the EU’s 2030 climate targets.
Fourteen countries installed more than 1 GW of capacity, including the UK (1.3 GW), Germany (5.7 GW) and Brazil (2.3 GW). Overall, the top five markets – China, the US, India, Germany and Brazil – accounted for 86% of new additions. New onshore capacity hit a record 155.3 GW, while offshore wind added 9.3 GW, bringing global offshore capacity to 92.3 GW.
Bottlenecks
Yet, the report sounded a note of caution. GWEC warns that global growth remains uneven and that the world is not on track to triple renewable capacity by 2030. Bureaucratic red tape, slow permitting and grid bottlenecks are stalling projects in many regions.
Last year saw failed offshore auction rounds in Europe and the US, cancellations by developers and changes to China’s support mechanisms. Backwell urged governments to adopt emergency measures to “break the cycle of energy crises,” including fast‑tracking permitting, addressing grid blockers, mobilising finance and scaling up supply chains.
The report is a wake‑up call for the UK. While the country installed 1.3 GW of new wind capacity in 2025, it must dramatically ramp up to meet its target of 50 GW offshore wind by 2030.
The introduction of a new Contracts for Difference round and reforms to accelerate planning decisions could help. But supply chain constraints and the need to build new high‑voltage transmission lines remain major hurdles. Industry experts also note that inflationary pressures and high interest rates are pushing up project costs, making policy stability essential.
The global outlook suggests that Asia will continue to dominate wind deployment, with China expected to account for 63% of new installations in 2026. However, GWEC predicts greater diversification from 2027 as Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Africa scale up.
Achieving the 2030 targets will therefore require not only faster growth in Europe and North America but also removing policy and infrastructure barriers worldwide.
