Albania ranked second in Europe in 2024 for the share of electricity generated from renewable sources compared to its domestic consumption, outperforming Iceland and every member state of the European Union, according to the latest data released by Eurostat. The figures show that renewable electricity production reached 105% of the country's gross electricity consumption, meaning Albania generated more green electricity than it used over the course of the year. Only Norway performed better with 114%, while Iceland followed closely in third place with 102%.
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| Eurostat chart illustrating the overall share of energy from renewable sources across Europe in 2024. While Albania ranks exceptionally high in green electricity production (exceeding 100% of its domestic consumption due to hydropower assets), the country continues to expand its broader renewable footprint to meet long-term European targets. |
Albania's position is largely driven by its overwhelming dependence on hydropower, which remains the backbone of the country's electricity generation system. Favorable hydrological conditions throughout 2024 significantly boosted domestic electricity production, allowing Albania to export electricity during parts of the year. However, the country's strong performance also highlights a structural vulnerability, as electricity generation remains heavily dependent on rainfall. During dry years, Albania is often forced to increase electricity imports to compensate for lower hydropower output.
Within the Western Balkans, Albania leads by a substantial margin. Montenegro ranked second with renewable electricity covering 66% of domestic consumption, while North Macedonia reached 32%. Serbia, by comparison, generated only 13% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources, reflecting its continued reliance on coal-fired power plants.
The figures form part of Eurostat's latest renewable energy statistics, which show that the European Union's energy transition continued to accelerate in 2024. Renewable sources accounted for 47.3% of the EU's gross electricity consumption, up from 45.3% in 2023. The increase marks a dramatic long-term transformation, with the share of renewable electricity nearly tripling since 2004, when it stood at just 16.2%.
Among EU member states, Austria remained the leader with 90% of electricity consumption supplied by renewable sources. Sweden followed with 88%, while Denmark ranked third with 80%. At the opposite end of the ranking were Malta with just 10%, followed by the Czech Republic and Luxembourg, both at 20%.
Eurostat noted that the expansion of renewable electricity across Europe has been driven primarily by rapid investment in solar and wind energy. During 2024 alone, photovoltaic electricity production increased significantly across most EU countries, while additional wind power capacity helped offset fluctuations in hydropower generation experienced in several regions.
Across Europe, wind energy has now become the largest renewable electricity source, accounting for approximately 39% of all renewable power generation. Hydropower contributes around 30%, solar energy represents 22%, and bioenergy accounts for roughly 6%. Compared with a decade ago, solar power has experienced the fastest growth, supported by falling technology costs and continued public policies encouraging renewable energy investment.