Casablanca – A series of recent international energy reports indicates that Morocco ranked fifth worldwide in 2025 among countries most dependent on coal for electricity generation, with coal accounting for approximately 62% of its national electricity mix. The findings, compiled by several energy research platforms including Ember and the Energy Research Unit, place Morocco as the only Arab country in this global ranking, which highlights the continuing importance of coal in parts of the world electricity system despite global decarbonization efforts.

The ranking is led by Mongolia, where coal represents around 86% of electricity production, followed by South Africa at 81%, India at 71%, and Serbia at 65%. Morocco’s position ahead of several larger energy markets, including Indonesia, Philippines, and even China in relative dependence terms, reflects a specific structural characteristic of its electricity system rather than overall production volume.

Coal remains dominant despite diversification efforts

Although Morocco has made notable investments in renewable energy over the past decade, coal continues to dominate its electricity generation mix. Across all compiled datasets, coal consistently accounts for about 62% of national electricity production, making it the single largest source in the country’s energy structure.

However, the data also shows a gradual diversification trend. Wind energy represents the second-largest source of electricity in Morocco, contributing around 16% of the total mix. This reflects the country’s continued expansion of wind farms, particularly in coastal and southern regions with strong wind potential.

Natural gas follows with approximately 11%, playing a supporting role in balancing electricity demand and stabilizing the grid. Solar energy contributes around 5.8%, a share that, while still limited, reflects Morocco’s long-term investment in large-scale solar projects.

Other energy sources remain relatively small. Hydropower accounts for about 2% of electricity generation, while other fossil fuels such as diesel represent approximately 3.6%. Taken together, these figures indicate that while renewable energy is growing, fossil fuels—particularly coal—continue to play a central role in electricity production.

Global coal trends show gradual decline

At the global level, the reports highlight a slight but notable structural shift in coal usage. Coal-fired electricity generation declined by approximately 0.6% year-on-year in 2025, reaching around 10,476 terawatt-hours. Despite this decrease, coal remains the world’s largest single source of electricity generation.

The global share of coal in electricity production also fell to about 33% in 2025, down from 34% in 2024 and more than 39% in 2015. This long-term downward trend reflects increasing investment in renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar, as well as policy measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

A key milestone highlighted in the data is that renewable energy generation surpassed coal globally for the first time, signaling a structural transition in the global energy system. However, this shift is uneven across regions, with Asia continuing to account for a large share of coal consumption.

China remains dominant in absolute coal production

While relative dependence on coal varies across countries, absolute production figures tell a different story. China remains the world’s largest producer of coal-based electricity, generating approximately 5,757 terawatt-hours in 2025. This represents about 55% of global coal-fired electricity output.

India ranks second in absolute terms with around 1,474 terawatt-hours, followed by the United States with 737 terawatt-hours. These figures underline the continued dominance of coal in large industrial economies, even as their relative shares in national electricity mixes differ significantly.

Environmental pressures and regional contrasts

The continued reliance on coal in electricity generation remains a central concern for climate policy experts due to its high carbon intensity. Coal is widely considered the most emissions-intensive fossil fuel, and its ongoing use is seen as a key challenge for global decarbonization efforts.

The contrast between regions is particularly notable. In several European countries, coal use has declined sharply or been fully phased out. For example, the United Kingdom eliminated coal from its electricity system entirely in 2025, down from more than 39% in 2012. Similarly, Greece reduced its coal share from 43% in 2015 to around 5% in 2025.

In contrast, countries such as Morocco continue to rely significantly on coal while simultaneously expanding renewable capacity, reflecting a transitional energy model rather than a fully decarbonized system.

The 2025 data presents a mixed global energy landscape. While coal’s overall share in electricity generation is gradually declining and renewable energy is expanding, many countries still depend heavily on coal for grid stability and base-load power.

For Morocco, the fifth-place global ranking highlights both the persistence of coal in its energy system and the ongoing challenge of accelerating the transition toward cleaner sources. At the same time, the growing contributions of wind, solar, and natural gas suggest that the country’s energy mix is slowly evolving, even if coal remains dominant in the short term.