Data centres consumed roughly 1.5% of global electricity in 2024, and their consumption is projected to more than double by 2030, concentrated in the United States, China and Europe.
Our reading: The 2024 figure is an estimate and the 2030 figure a base-case projection. Data centres serve more than AI; the report attributes the growth surge to AI.
Inspect evidence · 1 passage
Passage summaries are paraphrases, not quotations. Open the source to read the full passage.
Executive summary — data centre electricity consumption and regional shares
Data centres accounted for around 1.5% of world electricity consumption in 2024, about 415 TWh, growing around 12% a year since 2017. Consumption is projected to more than double to around 945 TWh by 2030. The United States accounted for 45% of 2024 consumption, China 25% and Europe 15%; nearly half of US capacity sits in five regional clusters.
Scope note: Projections are scenario-based estimates, not observations; the 2024 consumption figure is an estimate published in 2025.
Passage checked 2026-09-06 · iea-datacentre-electricity