Pakistan energy mix & electricity

Electricity generation in Pakistan reached 195 TWh in 2025. That is about 0.6% of the world total, similar to Malaysia. It is a notably diversified system: no single source supplies more than 21%, with natural gas (21%), hydropower (20.2%) and solar power (18.8%) all playing major roles.

Renewables supplied 42.7% of the electricity, which ranks Pakistan 71st of 158 countries. This puts it 9 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for Asia (27.3%). Because nuclear contributes another 12.2%, the low-carbon share is considerably higher, at 54.9%. Generating one kWh emits about 347 g CO₂e here (world average: 458 g). That makes the grid somewhat cleaner than the world average. On carbon intensity, Pakistan ranks 73rd of 158 from the cleanest.

The decade’s big winner is solar power, up 36.2 TWh between 2015 and 2025 (plus 18.4 percentage points of the mix). The biggest decline came from oil (−17.4 TWh). Taken together, the renewable share rose by 9.1 percentage points over the decade. Total generation grew by 82.2 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 432 to 347 g/kWh, a 20% cut.

Against the global trend, coal’s share has risen by 14.7 percentage points in ten years, to 14.8%.

Wind and solar together provided 21.7% of electricity (solar 18.8%, wind 2.9%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 143 kWh of solar electricity a year, versus a global average of 338 kWh. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2019.

Pakistan generates 764 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 20% of the global average. Cross-border trade is roughly balanced.