In 2023 alone, China installed 53,410 megawatts of new wind power — more than the United States added in the entire five-year span from 2019 through 2023, according to IRENA and GWEC data.
The widening gap
China ended 2023 with 418,957 MW of total wind capacity, compared with 148,000 MW in the US. That 2.8-to-1 lead emerged from a near dead heat in 2010, when China’s 44,782 MW edged America’s 40,300 MW.
The trajectory
Since then, China has compounded annual additions, crossing 100 GW by 2014, 200 GW by 2018, and 400 GW last year. The US, by contrast, has added roughly 10–15 GW per year since 2016, never accelerating at China’s pace.
- China’s annual growth averaged 23% since 2010.
- US growth averaged 10% per year.
- China’s 53.4 GW addition in 2023 alone equals half the entire US wind fleet.
Policy gridlock and sluggish permitting leave the US with little chance of closing the gap soon.
Source: IRENA, GWEC · 2026-06-27T13:12:00.355Z
