Global wind installations hit record 165 GW in 2025

The global wind energy industry installed 165 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity in 2025, a 40% increase over 2024 and the highest annual figure on record, according to the Global Wind Report 2026, published on April 20 by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). Total cumulative installed wind capacity worldwide reached 1,299 GW by the end of the year, with 138 countries now generating power from wind energy. The report projects that global wind capacity will cross the 2-terawatt (TW) milestone by 2029, six years after surpassing 1 TW in 2023.

Record installations across onshore and offshore

Of the 165 GW installed in 2025, onshore wind accounted for 155.3 GW, up 42% year on year and crossing the 150 GW threshold for the first time in a single year. Offshore wind contributed 9.3 GW, a 16% increase over 2024, bringing total global offshore installed capacity to 92.3 GW. A total of 57 countries added new wind capacity during the year, though the top five markets China, the United States, India, Germany, and Brazil together accounted for 86% of global additions. Those same five countries also represent 75% of the world’s total installed wind capacity.

China maintains its lead by a wide margin

China retained its position as the world’s largest wind market by a significant margin, commissioning more than 120 GW of new wind capacity in 2025. Of that total, over 110 GW was onshore wind, accounting for 73% of all new onshore installations globally. The country’s offshore wind sector added 6.6 GW. Additionally, more than 124.4 GW of future capacity received approval under China’s new market oriented pricing mechanism in 2025, a figure approximately one third higher than the previous year. The GWEC report notes that China’s annual additions in 2025 were roughly equivalent to the entire world’s total wind installations in 2024.

India nearly doubles annual installations

India recorded its strongest year for wind energy in 2025, adding 6.34 GW of new onshore capacity, an 85% increase over the 3.4 GW installed in 2024. This placed India third globally for new annual installations, behind China and the United States, and ahead of Germany 5.2 GW and Brazil 2.3 GW. Cumulative installed wind capacity in India reached 54.5 GW as of January 2026. The country is also identified in the report as the second largest hub for onshore wind turbine assembly and key component manufacturing in the Asia Pacific region. Together, China and India added more than 126 GW in 2025, accounting for the majority of global growth.

The report attributes India’s record year to a convergence of policy clarity, domestic manufacturing capacity, and rising demand for firm and dispatchable renewable energy. The Ministry of Power’s target of 500 GW of non fossil fuel capacity by 2030, with 100 GW earmarked for wind, is identified as the primary long term demand signal. The increasing proportion of hybrid and Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) tenders, which combine wind, solar, and battery storage, is cited as a factor improving project bankability and reducing grid integration costs. The report also references the Union Budget 2026’s extension of concessional customs duties on key components such as forged steel rings, and the inclusion of wind energy in the National Manufacturing Mandate 2025-2026, as measures that have stabilized the domestic supply chain.

United States rebounds after four years of decline

The United States commissioned nearly 7 GW of new onshore wind capacity in 2025, a 71% year on year increase and a reversal after four consecutive years of declining growth. The report describes the rebound as a reflection of the industry’s strong underlying economic fundamentals. Europe’s third largest individual market, Germany, added 5.2 GW, while Brazil contributed 2.3 GW to round out the top five.

Offshore wind: growth continues, India faces headwinds

Global offshore wind capacity is approaching the symbolic 100 GW milestone, having reached 92.3 GW by the end of 2025. China led offshore additions with 6.6 GW, while Europe commissioned nearly 2 GW, including over 1 GW connected to the grid by the United Kingdom.

In India, the offshore wind sector presents a more complex picture. The government has identified approximately 70 GW of offshore potential off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and approved INR 7,453 crore, approximately USD 893 million in Viability Gap Funding for the initial 1 GW projects and associated port infrastructure. However, the Solar Energy Corporation of India cancelled 4.5 GW of offshore tenders in 2025, citing limited developer participation. The GWEC report notes that significant alignment is still needed between India’s cost expectations and the realities of global offshore supply chain economics. The report indicates that renewed tendering is anticipated in the first half of 2026, though it does not quantify the scale or timeline with certainty.

Auction activity and market diversification

New onshore wind capacity awarded through wind-specific, technology-neutral, renewable, and hybrid auctions totalled 32.8 GW globally in 2025, a 39% decline from 2024. More than half of this was in Europe, with roughly one third in the Asia Pacific region, primarily in India. The report notes the emergence of new markets, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia, as signals of broadening geographic diversification beyond China and established Western economies.

Energy security and economics

The 2026 report frames wind energy increasingly as a component of the national energy security strategy. Published against the backdrop of escalated conflict in the Middle East and disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, the report highlights the relevance of domestic renewable generation for countries reliant on imported fossil fuels. GWEC estimates that approximately three-quarters of the world’s population lives in net fossil fuel-importing nations. The report states that the global average Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for onshore wind is now 53% lower than fossil fuel-based generation.

For India, the report positions wind energy as an indigenous power source with a deflationary cost trajectory, relevant to both industrial competitiveness and carbon reduction commitments. The report introduces the concept of the “Electrotech Era,” a period in which electricity demand from data centres, electric vehicles, and green hydrogen production is reshaping power markets and driving new requirements for firm, round-the-clock renewable energy supply.

Challenges and barriers

The report does not present the record year without qualification. For India specifically, state-level operational constraints, including delays in right-of-way approvals, land acquisition, and the finalisation of Power Purchase Agreements by electricity distribution companies, are identified as the primary risks to sustaining current growth momentum. Globally, the report raises the issue of misinformation campaigns targeting wind energy, noting that in markets with lower public awareness, such narratives can slow permitting processes and reduce public acceptance if not addressed through evidence-based communication.

New onshore wind capacity awarded through global auctions declined by 39% in 2025, which the report identifies as a potential constraint on future pipeline development if not addressed through policy intervention and streamlined procurement frameworks.

Outlook: 969 GW projected through 2030

GWEC Market Intelligence projects that 969 GW of new wind capacity will be commissioned between 2026 and 2030, averaging 194 GW annually. This represents a projected compound annual growth rate of 5.2% over the five year period. China is expected to account for approximately 63% of new installations in 2026, but the report projects that greater diversification will characterize the market by 2030. Rapid acceleration in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East from 2027 onward is expected to result in more than half of global growth coming from markets outside China by the end of the decade.

India is projected to add approximately 41 GW of new onshore capacity between 2026 and 2030. Global wind capacity is expected to surpass the 2 TW milestone by 2029.

The report concludes that while the 2025 figures confirm wind energy’s trajectory as a mainstream power source, the current rate of deployment will need to accelerate further to meet international climate and energy security targets. The diversification of installations across more countries and regions, the continued decline in costs, and the increasing integration of wind into firm and dispatchable energy frameworks are identified as the defining dynamics of the sector in the years ahead.

The featured photograph is for representation only.