The total power that wind can produce worldwide has grown quickly since the year 2000. By the end of 2023, this power was over 1,000 gigawatts. Since 2010, more than half of all new wind power added globally was built outside Europe and North America, mostly because of growth in China and India. In 2023, China alone had more than 40% of the world’s wind power capacity.

Wind power is used commercially in more than half of all countries. In 2023, Denmark produced 58% of its electricity from wind, more than any other country. Latvia increased its wind power capacity by 75% in 2022, the largest growth rate that year.

In November 2018, wind power in Scotland produced more electricity than the country used during that month. In 2023, wind power provided 7.8% of the world’s electricity, an increase from 7.3% the year before. In Europe, wind power made up 12.3% of electricity generation in 2023. In 2018, wind power markets in the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa grew from 8% to 10%.

Generation by country

Number of countries with wind energy capacities measured in gigawatts

The table below shows this information for each country:
• total electricity generated from wind in terawatt-hours,
• the percentage of the country's total electricity generation that came from wind,
• total wind energy capacity in gigawatts,
• the percentage increase in wind energy capacity, and
• the wind capacity factor for that year.

The data are from Ember and relate to the year 2024 unless stated otherwise. The table only includes countries that produced more than 0.1 terawatt-hours of electricity from wind.

Asia

Wind power in Asia is a significant part of the region's energy industry and a major source of renewable energy. As of April 2016, the total wind power capacity in Asia (excluding the Middle East) was 175,831 MW. Asia is the fastest-growing region for wind energy, with an increase of 33,858 MW in 2005, which is a 24% rise compared to 2014. China has the largest wind power generation in the world, with 145,362 MW of installed capacity. India is the second-largest country in Asia for wind power, with 25,088 MW of installed capacity. Other important countries in Asia include Japan (1,394 MW), Taiwan (188 MW), South Korea (173 MW), and the Philippines (33 MW).

Africa

The Koudia Al Baida Farm in Morocco is the largest wind farm in Africa. Two other large wind farms are being built in Tangier and Tarfaya.

Kenya is constructing a wind farm called the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) in Marsabit County. This project is Africa's largest wind farm. It will help increase Kenya's electricity supply, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. LTWP is expected to produce 310 MW of wind power when fully operational.

In January 2009, the first wind turbine in West Africa was built in Batokunku, a village in The Gambia. The 150 kilowatt turbine provides electricity for the village's 2,000 residents.

South Africa's REIPPP program has led to several wind farms already in use. These farms are operating in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces. About 10 farms are currently active or under construction, and 12 more have been approved as part of the 4th Round of the REIPPP.

Europe

As of 2023, Europe had 255 gigawatts (GW) of wind power installed. In 2017, 15,680 megawatts (MW) of wind power were added, which was 55% of all new power added that year. Wind power produced 336 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, enough to supply 11.6% of the European Union's electricity needs.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, wind power generated more electricity than coal for the first time in Europe, producing 193 TWh compared to coal’s 184 TWh. Wind power generation increased by 20% from 2022, despite challenges in installing new wind farms. New policies are planned to increase wind power further in 2024.

WindEurope (formerly The European Wind Energy Association) estimated that by 2020, Europe would install 230 GW of wind power, including 190 GW on land and 40 GW offshore. This would provide 14–17% of the EU’s electricity, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 333 million tonnes yearly, and save Europe €28 billion annually in fuel costs.

Studies from many European countries show that about 80% of the public supports wind power.

By 2020, wind power supplied 56% of electricity in Denmark, 36% in Lithuania, 35% in Ireland, 23% in Portugal, 23% in Germany, 20% in Spain, 18% in Greece, 16% in Sweden, and an average of 15% across the EU.