Bioenergy And Biomass Statistics By Facts And Trends (2026)

Beginning

Bioenergy and Biomass Statistics: When I say renewable energy, solar and wind usually get all the attention. But if you dig into it, you’ll see that these bioenergy and biomass statistics tell a very different story. Biomass from crops, forests, and even waste still provides a big share of the world’s energy, and the market around it is only getting bigger.

This isn’t just about burning wood like in the old days. Today, bioenergy means billion-dollar industries, thousands of power plants, and huge potential for the future. At the same time, there are challenges like deforestation and the health risks of traditional biomass use. That’s why in this article, I’ll walk you through the real picture of bioenergy and biomass statistics from its roots, so you can see how important it still is in the global energy story. Let’s get into it.

Best of the Best

1. Bioenergy is one of the oldest energy sources, with humans burning wood and organic matter for thousands of years. Today, it’s modernized into biogas, biofuels, and biomass power.
2. Global bioenergy consumption in 2025 was about 41.2 exajoules, nearly 9.5% of the world’s 433 EJ energy use.
3. Modern bioenergy makes up around 55% of the renewable energy supply worldwide.
4. The U.S. in 2025 consumed 4,978 trillion BTU of biomass energy, nearly 5% of its primary energy. Biofuels led the mix with 53%, wood 39%, and waste/manure 8%.
5. The global bioenergy market in 2024 ranges between USD 145 billion and USD 296 billion, depending on the source, with CAGR forecasts of 7 to 8% into 2029 to 2033.
6. Biomass electricity alone is valued at USD 55.4 billion in 2024, expected to grow to USD 72.8 billion by 2029.
7. Bioenergy investment is expected to rise 13% in 2025, reaching USD 16 billion.
8. The UK’s Drax biomass plant burns 7 million tonnes of pellets annually, generating 4% of national electricity, but has received EUD 7 billion in subsidies.
9. Indonesia and South Korea are linked to deforestation issues, with 60% of deforested Indonesian biomass exports going to South Korea.
10. Biomass supply potential in 41 countries is currently 1.32 billion dry tonnes, projected to hit 2.13 billion by 2030, a 60% growth.
11. There are nearly 5,000 biomass power plants worldwide today, producing 83.8 GW of capacity. Forecasts suggest almost 6,000 plants and 96.8 GW by 2033.
12. Biomass electricity production is expected at 21 billion kWh in 2025, dipping slightly to 20.7 billion kWh in 2026.
13. Health impacts remain serious, as nearly 2 billion people still rely on traditional biomass cooking, causing about 3 million premature deaths yearly.
14. Sustainability challenges include deforestation, land-use change, and emissions from transporting biomass over long distances.

Origin and History of Bioenergy and Biomass

(Source: mdpi.com)

• Way back, humans burned organic stuff like wood for cooking and warmth; that’s probably the oldest energy use.
• Modern uses like biogas and biofuels only took off in recent decades, especially with the push for clean energy.

Scale Today, Global Numbers for Bioenergy and Biomass Statistics

(Reference: statista.com)

• In 2025, world bioenergy consumption reached around 41.2 exajoules (EJ), which was about 9.5% of global energy use (433 EJ), reflecting steady growth in renewable energy adoption worldwide.
• Modern bioenergy continues to contribute over 6.5% of global energy supply and nearly 57% of all renewable energy, excluding traditional biomass, reinforcing its position as the largest single source of renewable energy globally.
• In the U.S. in 2025, biomass accounted for roughly 5.5% of total primary energy use, approximately 5,200 trillion BTU. Biofuels made up 2,850 TBtu (55%), wood and wood waste 1,950 TBtu (37%), and waste/manure/sewage the remaining 400 TBtu (8%).

Market Size and Growth Trends

(Reference: precedenceresearch.com)

• The global bioenergy market was valued at about USD 145.64 billion in 2024, expected to reach USD 156.86 billion in 2025, and USD 283.94 billion by 2033 with a CAGR of 7.7%.
• Another source pegs the broader bioenergy market at USD 296.09 billion in 2024, growing to USD 320.81 billion in 2025, and USD 465.22 billion by 2029 with a CAGR of 8.3%.
• Specifically for biomass electricity, the market was about USD 55.43 billion in 2024, rising to USD 58.31 billion in 2025, and forecasted to hit USD 72.78 billion by 2029 with a CAGR of 5.2%.

Investments and Policy

(Reference: roedl.com)

• The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that bioenergy investments will increase by about 13% in 2025, hitting a record USD 16 billion.
• Policy matters: In the UK, the Drax biomass plant burns approximately 7.5 million tonnes of pellets annually and supplies nearly 5% of the UK’s electricity, yet critics continue to question its carbon claims and subsidies, which have now exceeded £9 billion in total government support.
• In South Korea, more than 65% of wood pellets sourced from deforested Indonesian forests since 2021 have been directed there by 2025, sparking ongoing legal challenges, international sustainability concerns, and growing pressure from environmental organizations to reform biomass import policies.
• Similarly, Indonesia’s forests are being cleared rapidly to meet rising biomass demand from South Korea and Japan.

Biomass Supply Potential

(Source: researchgate.net)

• In 41 countries where information is available, current biomass resource potential is approximately 1.32 billion dry metric tonnes and will reach 2.13 billion tonnes by 2030, an increase of 60%.
• This increase is to come from USA through crop residue and energy crops, and Indonesia through waste palm oil and rice husks.

Electric Capacity and Generation

(Source: eia.gov)

• In early 2024, there were roughly 4,971 biomass power plants globally, totaling around 83.8 GW of capacity. Projected to reach 5,980 plants and 96.8 GW by 2033.
• In terms of actual electricity production, biomass is expected to generate about 21 billion kWh in 2025 and slightly less (20.7 billion kWh) in 2026.

Environmental and Sustainability Considerations

(Source: ieabioenergyreview.org)

#1. Modern bioenergy is considered near-zero-emission if biomass regrowth matches carbon release, but traditional biomass (open fires, inefficient stoves) is harmful and still used by 2.1 billion people globally in 2025, causing nearly 2.9 million premature deaths annually.

#2. Land-use impacts are important: clearing forests for biomass (e.g., in Indonesia) can seriously harm biodiversity and the climate balance. There’s ongoing criticism of long-distance biomass transport and uncertainties about true carbon neutrality.

• Modern bioenergy: low net-carbon if sustainably managed.
• Traditional biomass: major health risks and pollution; still widely used (2 bn people).
• Land-use risks: deforestation, long regrowth timelines, and biodiversity loss.
• Transport footprint: hauling biomass over long distances is often criticized.

Recent Bioenergy and Biomass Statistics

• In January 2025, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that global bioenergy capacity reached 148 gigawatts (GW), with bioenergy accounting for approximately 9.5% of total global energy consumption.
• In February 2025, the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) released data showing that developing nations in Africa and Southeast Asia increased their bioenergy investments by 15% in 2024, totaling over USD 12 billion.
• In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that domestic biofuel production increased by 8% in 2024, reaching a record 17.5 billion gallons.
• In May 2025, the European Union reported that biomass and bioenergy contributed 60% of the bloc’s total renewable energy consumption in 2024.

Ending

From all these facts about bioenergy and biomass, it is clear that this sector still plays an important role in the energy mix of the world. The figures speak about continuous growth, huge investments, and a bright future as a result of efforts of countries to move to a cleaner energy source. But there are many problems that arise along with the development of bioenergy and biomass as well.

The problems include the health hazards associated with using traditional biomass and also the environmental impacts caused by mass production of bioenergy. Overall, bioenergy has become something more than burning the firewood and now influences the future of our planet in many ways. I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any questions, write them down in the comments section below.

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