Fossil Fuels Remain Dominant Energy Source Despite Renewable Gains

The latest edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy has been published by The Energy Institute, covering full-year 2025 data. A key takeaway from the report is that fossil fuels still made up around 86% of the world's total energy supply in 2025. This figure may come as a disappointment to those hoping for a faster transition to renewable energy sources.

One piece of good news for proponents of renewable energy was that solar accounted for 71% of new energy supply growth last year, making it the single largest source of new energy supply growth outside of a recession. However, this growth pales in comparison to the dominance of fossil fuels, which set a new record and supplied roughly 86% of the world's total energy.

The report also highlighted that natural gas trade grew faster than the gas market itself in 2025. This trend is likely influenced by increasing demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from countries like the US, which saw a 27% jump in LNG exports last year.