Hydropower
Hydropower is the world's largest source of renewable electricity. Global generation rebounded about 10% to a record 4,578 TWh in 2024 after a drought-hit 2023, drawing on an installed base nearing 1,400 GW. China alone holds 421 GW — over a quarter of the world total.
Key Hydropower Insights
The Backbone of Renewable Power
Hydropower supplies roughly 14% of global electricity and remains the largest renewable source. Unlike wind and solar it is dispatchable — reservoirs can store water and release power on demand — and pumped-storage hydro provides the bulk of the world's grid-scale energy storage.
China Dominates; Eight Countries Hold Two-Thirds
China leads with 421 GW, followed by Brazil (110), the USA (102) and Canada (84). The top eight countries together hold nearly two-thirds of global capacity. China also added 14.4 GW of the roughly 24.6 GW of new hydropower commissioned worldwide in 2024.
Drought Makes Output Volatile
Hydropower output swings with the weather. Generation fell more than 100 TWh in 2023 amid droughts in China, India, Canada, the US and Vietnam, then rebounded about 10% in 2024 to 4,578 TWh. Climate variability is a growing reliability risk for hydro-dependent grids.
Pumped Storage Is the Hidden Giant
Of the roughly 24.6 GW added in 2024, about 8.4 GW was pumped storage. It is by far the largest form of grid-scale energy storage and is increasingly built to balance variable wind and solar — which is why capacity totals differ depending on whether pumped storage is counted.
Top 10 Countries by Hydropower Capacity (2024)
Installed capacity, GW
Key Finding: China's 421 GW dwarfs all others — more than Brazil, the USA and Canada combined. The top eight countries account for nearly two-thirds of the roughly 1,400 GW global total.
Global Hydropower Generation (2000–2024)
Terawatt-hours per year
Key Finding: Generation reached a record 4,578 TWh in 2024, up about 10% after a drought-driven dip in 2023. Long-run growth has been steady as large dams come online, mostly in Asia.
Hydropower's Share of Renewable Electricity (2024)
Generation by renewable source, TWh
Key Finding: Hydropower (about 4,578 TWh) remains the single largest renewable electricity source, though wind and solar are growing far faster and are steadily closing the gap.
2024 Hydropower Capacity Additions by Region
New capacity, GW (incl. pumped storage)
Key Finding: East Asia and the Pacific dominated new builds with 14.6 GW — almost all in China. Africa added 4.5 GW, led by Tanzania (1.9 GW) and Ethiopia (1.2 GW).
Hydropower Share of National Electricity
Percent of electricity from hydro
Key Finding: Norway runs on about 88% hydro and Brazil and Canada around 60%, against a global average near 14%. For many economies hydro is the backbone of a low-carbon grid.
Understanding Hydropower Data
How hydropower is measured
Two distinct figures matter: installed capacity (gigawatts a plant can produce at once) and generation (terawatt-hours actually produced over a year). The ratio between them is the capacity factor, which for hydro depends heavily on rainfall and reservoir management. IEA, IRENA and the International Hydropower Association compile national submissions.
Reservoir, run-of-river and pumped storage
Reservoir plants store water behind a dam for dispatchable power; run-of-river plants follow the natural flow; pumped storage pumps water uphill when power is cheap and releases it at peak demand. Pumped storage is a net consumer of electricity, so it is sometimes excluded from renewable capacity totals — hence figures of about 1,277 GW excluding it versus 1,427 GW including it.
Why generation differs from capacity
A country can have large installed capacity yet low output in a dry year. Droughts, snowmelt timing and reservoir levels drive year-to-year generation swings that are independent of how much capacity is built.
Caveats
Totals vary between sources mainly because of how pumped storage and small hydro are treated, and which reporting year is used. Small and micro hydro is under-counted in some countries' official statistics.