Ember · Hydro Share of Electricity Generation
Hydropower by country
What share of electricity comes from hydropower?
Of the 164 countries compared in 2024, Bhutan had the highest reading, 100.000%, and 44 countries shared the lowest reading, 0.000%. In the middle country the figure was 12.854%. Among the 161 countries measured in every edition since 2000, the middle one moved from 12.792% to 12.599%.
Share
Part ofEnergy
Hydropower · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 164Bhutan
100.000%012024 · values only
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 164 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Lowest in 2024
Yemen0.000%
Trinidad and Tobago0.000%
Tonga0.000%
This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
02Every measured country
Hydropower on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0.000%
- 0.012–7.285%
- 7.289–26.846%
- 26.914–55.556%
- 57.377–100.000%
- No reading in 2024 (9 measured in an earlier edition)
- Africa
23.937%
the middle country, of 46 measured · 55 members
Malawi92.350%13 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Americas
13.857%
the middle country, of 36 measured · 48 members
Paraguay99.434%12 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Europe
12.599%
the middle country, of 33 measured · 49 members
Albania95.923%
Malta0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Asia
5.570%
the middle country, of 36 measured · 52 members
Bhutan100.000%11 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Oceania
0.000%
the middle country, of 13 measured · 21 members
New Zealand53.283%7 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- South America
52.848%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 12 members
Paraguay99.434%
Guyana0.000%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Southern Asia
50.580%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Bhutan100.000%
Maldives0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Central America
39.899%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica72.727%
Nicaragua14.381%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Middle Africa
35.000%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
DR Congo84.171%
Chad0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Eastern Africa
34.356%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 19 members
Malawi92.350%5 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- South-eastern Asia
28.230%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 11 members
Laos76.467%
Brunei0.000%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Europe
27.327%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 17 members
Albania95.923%Malta0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Northern Europe
17.354%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 13 members
Norway88.826%
Denmark0.057%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Africa
10.707%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Sierra Leone85.714%5 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Western Europe
7.285%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members
Austria58.247%
Netherlands0.074%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
4.462%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 10 members
Romania26.914%
Hungary0.606%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Eastern Asia
0.680%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 8 members
North Korea62.731%2 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Western Asia
0.048%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 19 members
Georgia78.966%7 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Caribbean
0.000%
the middle country, of 17 measured · 24 members
Haiti18.605%11 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Polynesia
0.000%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 7 members
French Polynesia26.389%3 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Australia and New Zealand
1 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: New Zealand.
New Zealand53.283%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central Asia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Tajikistan94.595%
Turkmenistan0.030%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands.
Fiji52.174%
Solomon Islands0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Guam, Kiribati, Nauru.
3 share 0.000%
3 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern Africa
4 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia.
Sudan77.861%
Libya0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Greenland, United States.
Greenland78.333%
United States5.398%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Southern Africa
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia.
Namibia60.976%
Botswana0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
164 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 12.854%; a quarter are above 47.082%, and a quarter below 0.000%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 173 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end is better. A high share mostly reflects rivers and mountains, and a low share is not a failure; the renewable column beside it shows how much of the rest comes from wind, solar, bioenergy and geothermal.
Showing 25 of 173 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052000–2024 · 25 editions
Over time
Each point is one year from 2000. A new dam lifts the line in a step, and a dry year can pull it down sharply, so a single low year is often the weather rather than a change of course.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 161 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 164 | 12.854% | 0.000% – 47.082% | 12.599% |
| 2023 | 172 | 11.207% | 0.000% – 45.789% | 11.146% |
| 2022 | 173 | 12.500% | 0.000% – 47.649% | 11.386% |
| 2021 | 173 | 12.621% | 0.000% – 47.187% | 12.621% |
| 2020 | 173 | 11.858% | 0.000% – 46.858% | 11.858% |
| 2019 | 173 | 10.479% | 0.000% – 46.127% | 10.280% |
| 2018 | 173 | 12.649% | 0.000% – 50.909% | 12.649% |
| 2017 | 173 | 11.302% | 0.000% – 47.083% | 11.302% |
| 2016 | 173 | 11.685% | 0.000% – 46.794% | 11.685% |
| 2015 | 173 | 11.599% | 0.000% – 49.120% | 11.599% |
| 2014 | 173 | 11.012% | 0.000% – 51.163% | 10.888% |
| 2013 | 173 | 13.319% | 0.000% – 51.667% | 13.100% |
| 2012 | 173 | 12.547% | 0.000% – 51.930% | 12.547% |
| 2011 | 172 | 12.598% | 0.000% – 52.558% | 11.549% |
| 2010 | 172 | 13.909% | 0.000% – 53.280% | 13.699% |
| 2009 | 172 | 14.286% | 0.000% – 55.443% | 12.934% |
| 2008 | 172 | 13.335% | 0.000% – 54.606% | 10.963% |
| 2007 | 172 | 11.196% | 0.000% – 53.248% | 10.720% |
| 2006 | 172 | 11.308% | 0.000% – 52.769% | 10.159% |
| 2005 | 172 | 13.683% | 0.000% – 50.397% | 13.047% |
| 2004 | 171 | 12.993% | 0.000% – 54.079% | 12.569% |
| 2003 | 171 | 12.810% | 0.000% – 53.092% | 11.477% |
| 2002 | 170 | 11.976% | 0.000% – 57.611% | 11.765% |
| 2001 | 170 | 11.321% | 0.000% – 54.296% | 12.752% |
| 2000 | 170 | 12.792% | 0.000% – 57.043% | 12.792% |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after
El Salvador24.916% → 32.627%+7.711
Uruguay27.457% → 33.657%+6.200
Panama46.911% → 53.090%+6.179
Tanzania25.544% → 31.674%+6.130
Portugal26.094% → 31.487%+5.393
Fell most
before → after
Colombia64.272% → 54.835%−9.437- Namibia69.841% → 60.976%−8.865
Latvia59.404% → 50.621%−8.783- New Zealand61.017% → 53.283%−7.734
Cambodia35.588% → 28.230%−7.358
164 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 172 to 164 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Hydropower in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
Reached 109 times by 11 countries — shared, so no holder is named
100.000%
Hydropower (% of electricity generated)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 1240 times by 56 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.000%
Hydropower (% of electricity generated)
Biggest rise between editions
+52.381
33.333% → 85.714%
Biggest fall between editions
−34.190
85.501% → 51.311%
Biggest change since first measured
+74.603
11.111% → 85.714%
08The measure
About hydropower
This is the share of a country’s electricity generation that came from hydropower. It is the reason countries such as Norway, Paraguay and Nepal run on clean power without a wind or solar boom.
What the number is: Hydropower (% of electricity generated).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Energy, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where hydropower is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Renewable Share of Electricity GenerationKeyEmber · 164 countries in commonρ 0.84
- Low-Carbon Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 164 countries in commonρ 0.81
- Tropical Moist Forest DeforestationJRC · 80 countries in commonρ 0.61
Moves against
Where hydropower is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Carbon Intensity of ElectricityKeyEmber · 164 countries in commonρ −0.74
- Baseline Water Stress (Aqueduct)WRI · 131 countries in commonρ −0.41
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 353 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
More from Ember
- Carbon Intensity of Electricity
- Coal Share of Electricity Generation
- Gas Share of Electricity Generation
- Low-Carbon Share of Electricity Generation
- Net Electricity Imports (share of generation)
- Nuclear Share of Electricity Generation
- Renewable Share of Electricity Generation
- Solar Share of Electricity Generation
- All statistics
11Questions
Hydropower: questions and answers
Which country has the highest hydropower?
Bhutan, at 100.000%, among the 164 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest hydropower?
44 countries share the lowest reading, 0.000%, among the 164 compared in 2024, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Hydro Share of Electricity Generation cover?
164 in 2024, and 173 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 164 to 173 between editions.
What is the world average hydropower?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 164 compared in 2024, the figure was 12.854%.
Is this Ember’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. Ember publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Hydro Share of Electricity Generation published?
This site holds 25 editions, describing 2000 to 2024.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From Ember, under CC BY 4.0. From Ember’s Yearly Electricity Data, the same public download its own data explorer offers. The percentages are Ember’s own, not recomputed here; pumped-storage hydro is left out where Ember can separate it. Some countries are not shown — India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom among them — because Ember takes their figures from publishers whose terms do not allow reuse on a commercial site. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Hydro Share of Electricity Generation — Ember
From Ember’s Yearly Electricity Data, the same public download its own data explorer offers. The percentages are Ember’s own, not recomputed here; pumped-storage hydro is left out where Ember can separate it. Some countries are not shown — India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom among them — because Ember takes their figures from publishers whose terms do not allow reuse on a commercial site.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: Ember. Yearly Electricity Data. London: Ember (Ember Energy Research CIC).
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-10-02.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: Ember publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Hydropower by country: Hydro Share of Electricity Generation, data from Ember. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/hydro-electricity