Data centre power statistics 2026: the numbers worth knowing
Short answer: data centres used about 415 TWh of electricity worldwide in 2024, roughly 1.5% of global demand, and the IEA expects that to reach around 945 TWh by 2030. In the US the share was 4.4% in 2023 and could be 6.7% to 12% by 2028. PUE has barely moved: Uptime's 2025 average is 1.54, and its survey says the headline figure has virtually stood still for six years.
A lot of the data centre power figures that get passed around online have no source attached. This page keeps the main ones in one place, each linked to where it came from. Use any of them. A link back is appreciated.
Global demand
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global data centre electricity use, 2024 | ~415 TWh (~1.5% of world electricity) | IEA, Energy and AI |
| Growth over the last five years | ~12% per year | IEA |
| Base case for 2030 (April 2025 report) | ~945 TWh (just under 3%) | IEA |
| Later IEA update | 485 TWh in 2025 → 950 TWh in 2030, so the 2030 view is essentially unchanged | IEA, Key Questions on Energy and AI |
| Share of 2024 use by region | US 45%, China 25%, Europe 15% | IEA report PDF |
United States
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Data centre electricity use, 2014 → 2023 | 58 TWh → 176 TWh | US DOE |
| Share of US electricity, 2023 | 4.4% | LBNL 2024 report |
| Range for 2028 | 325–580 TWh, 6.7%–12.0% | LBNL |
| Implied capacity, assuming 50% average utilisation | 74–132 GW | LBNL |
Efficiency (PUE)
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global weighted average PUE, 2025 | 1.54 (n=681) | Uptime Institute Global Survey 2025 |
| Average PUE in 2007 and 2014 | 2.5 and 1.65 | Uptime 2025 |
| Middle East and Africa average | 1.68 (n=79) | Uptime regional view 2025 |
| North America average | 1.49 (n=111) | Uptime regional view 2025 |
| Respondents working in facilities 16+ years old | 27.5% | Uptime 2025 |
What I take from this
The headline growth is real, but it lands in a few places. The IEA notes that nearly half of US data centre capacity sits in five regional clusters, so the strain is local. So for any one site, the useful question is less "how big can we go" and more "how much power does this site actually have, and when". That's the number we design around.
The PUE gap between the Middle East (1.68) and North America (1.49) is the other one worth watching. Uptime's data doesn't split the gap by cause. Climate, fleet age and who answered the survey all likely play a part. Note that Middle East and Africa is one region in Uptime's data, there is no separate Gulf figure, and the sample is small (79).
Last checked: 30 October 2026. If a source updates, I update the table and the date.
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