Electric vehicles are charged at the Quanhu Park station equipped with ultra-fast liquid-cooled chargers in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 13, 2025. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, reached a milestone last year, surpassing 10 trillion kWh for the first time, the National Energy Administration (NEA) announced on Saturday.

Total power use in China hit 10.4 trillion kWh in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 5 percent, according to NEA data.

This record-breaking volume also makes China the first country to surpass the 10-trillion-kWh mark in annual power use, more than doubling that of the United States and exceeding the combined power consumption of the EU, Russia, India and Japan.

Last year's growth stems from the stable and positive fundamentals of the macroeconomy, coupled with prolonged high temperatures and a rising level of electrification in households, explained Yang Kun, executive vice chairman of the China Electricity Council.

High-end manufacturing is becoming a core engine for power demand as China accelerates the development of new quality productive forces. In 2025, electricity consumption for the manufacturing of new energy vehicles and wind power equipment surged by over 20 percent and more than 30 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, rapid expansion of the digital economy and new technologies has created new demand. Accelerated construction of new infrastructure, such as 5G base stations and charging piles, drove up power use in the internet and related services sector by over 30 percent. Notably, power consumption in the battery charging and swapping sector had soared by nearly 50 percent last year.

As of the end of November 2025, the number of charging guns for electric vehicles had exceeded 19.32 million in China, up 52 percent year on year, NEA data showed.

"Behind the 10-trillion-kWh annual power use is steady progress toward a high-tech, high-value-added industrial structure and a firm commitment to low-carbon development," Yang said, adding that it serves as powerful evidence of the resilience and long-term stability of the Chinese economy.