Hydropower capacity has grown steadily across the globe, though the pace of development is unevenly distributed among continents. Developing regions like Asia and Africa have seen substantial increases in their water-power infrastructure, whereas more industrialised areas like Europe and North America show a slower growth trend, according to the authors of the newly released report.
The data tables record that global hydropower capacity reached “1 455 588” megawatts by 2025, with Asia contributing a significant portion of this total at “668 333” megawatts. In comparison, capacity in the Middle East stood at “17 350” megawatts and Africa reached “48 914” megawatts by the end of the reporting period.
This shift shows that while every continent is expanding its use of water to generate electricity, the biggest projects are now focused in regions experiencing rapid economic growth. Asia added over 150,000 megawatts of capacity in just nine years, which is significantly more than the additions seen in Europe and North America combined. This suggests that while developed nations are mostly maintaining their existing power dams, other parts of the world are building new facilities at a much faster rate to meet their rising energy needs.
The report “Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026” was published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi. Released in 2026, the comprehensive statistical review was prepared by a dedicated team of authors including Julian Prime, Iman Abdulkadir Ahmed, and Dennis Akande. It provides a detailed global accounting of green energy deployment and capacity trends through the end of 2025.
