Ember · Net Electricity Imports (share of generation)
Electricity imports by country
How much electricity does a country import, net of exports, compared with what it generates?
Of the 165 countries compared in 2024, Palestine had the highest reading, 707.071%, and Laos had the lowest reading, -70.159%. In the middle country the figure was 0.000%.
Share
Part ofEnergy
Electricity imports · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 165Palestine
707.071%012024 · values only
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 165 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Lowest in 2024
Laos-70.159%
Paraguay-37.727%
Turkmenistan-27.264%
This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Djibouti300.000% - Americas
Belize80.851% - AsiaPalestine707.071%
- Europe
Luxembourg347.682% - Oceania
13 countries share 0.000%
- Every region
02Every measured country
Electricity imports on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- -70.159–-0.898%
- -0.583–0.000%
- 0.034–5.614%
- 6.553–22.308%
- 28.257–707.071%
- No reading in 2024 (9 measured in an earlier edition)
- Europe
1.407%
the middle country, of 33 measured · 49 members
Luxembourg347.682%
Sweden-19.439%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Africa
0.000%
the middle country, of 46 measured · 55 members
Djibouti300.000%
Mozambique-16.675%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Americas
0.000%
the middle country, of 36 measured · 48 members
Belize80.851%Paraguay-37.727%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
0.000%
the middle country, of 37 measured · 52 members
Palestine707.071%Laos-70.159%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Oceania
0.000%
the middle country, of 13 measured · 21 members
13 share 0.000%
13 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Asia
30.369%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 8 members
Macau705.128%
China-0.170%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Northern Europe
10.540%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 13 members
Lithuania72.984%Sweden-19.439%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Southern Asia
5.081%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Afghanistan588.889%
Nepal-0.898%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Southern Europe
3.957%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 17 members
Malta44.292%
Slovenia-14.421%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Central America
2.000%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Belize80.851%
El Salvador-5.055%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- South-eastern Asia
0.017%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 11 members
Cambodia29.199%Laos-70.159%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Caribbean
0.000%
the middle country, of 17 measured · 24 members
17 share 0.000%
17 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Eastern Africa
0.000%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 19 members
Djibouti300.000%Mozambique-16.675%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Middle Africa
0.000%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Gabon22.308%
Republic of the Congo-1.465%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Polynesia
0.000%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 7 members
5 share 0.000%
5 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- South America
0.000%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 12 members
Uruguay8.601%Paraguay-37.727%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Western Africa
0.000%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Togo211.268%
Ghana-10.054%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Western Asia
0.000%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 19 members
Palestine707.071%
Armenia-15.393%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Eastern Europe
-0.737%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 10 members
Hungary28.257%
Slovakia-9.993%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Europe
-3.449%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members
Luxembourg347.682%
France-15.940%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Australia and New Zealand
1 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: New Zealand.
New Zealand0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central Asia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Kyrgyzstan22.067%Turkmenistan-27.264%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands.
4 share 0.000%
4 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Guam, Kiribati, Nauru.
3 share 0.000%
3 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern Africa
4 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia.
Tunisia12.120%
Algeria-2.615%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Greenland, United States.
United States0.315%
Greenland0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Southern Africa
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia.
Eswatini170.492%
Botswana36.152%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
165 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.000%; a quarter are above 6.553%, and a quarter below 0.000%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 174 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end is better. The share is measured against what a country generates, not what it uses, so a country that generates very little and imports a lot can read several hundred per cent; the net imports in terawatt-hours beside each value show how much power is actually involved. A reading of exactly zero usually means a grid with no connection to a neighbour.
Showing 25 of 174 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052000–2024 · 25 editions
Over time
Each point is one year from 2000. Trade in electricity follows a neighbour’s weather and prices as much as a country’s own decisions, and a new cable across a border can move the line in a single year.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 153 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 165 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 6.553% | 0.000% |
| 2023 | 164 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 6.073% | 0.000% |
| 2022 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 6.802% | 0.000% |
| 2021 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 5.197% | 0.000% |
| 2020 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 4.264% | 0.000% |
| 2019 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 5.941% | 0.000% |
| 2018 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 4.848% | 0.000% |
| 2017 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 6.830% | 0.000% |
| 2016 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 5.224% | 0.000% |
| 2015 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 5.571% | 0.000% |
| 2014 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 5.690% | 0.000% |
| 2013 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 3.071% | 0.000% |
| 2012 | 174 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 2.714% | 0.000% |
| 2011 | 173 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 3.767% | 0.000% |
| 2010 | 173 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 1.593% | 0.000% |
| 2009 | 173 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 2.236% | 0.000% |
| 2008 | 173 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 1.934% | 0.000% |
| 2007 | 173 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 2.730% | 0.000% |
| 2006 | 173 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 4.216% | 0.000% |
| 2005 | 173 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 4.070% | 0.000% |
| 2004 | 172 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 4.853% | 0.000% |
| 2003 | 172 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 4.315% | 0.000% |
| 2002 | 171 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 3.053% | 0.000% |
| 2001 | 171 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 3.114% | 0.000% |
| 2000 | 171 | 0.000% | 0.000% – 2.539% | 0.000% |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → afterFell most
before → after- Palestine831.765% → 707.071%−124.694
- Macau807.576% → 705.128%−102.448
- Lithuania130.755% → 72.984%−57.771
- Afghanistan641.237% → 588.889%−52.348
- Luxembourg368.794% → 347.682%−21.112
156 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 164 to 165 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Electricity imports in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
7,533.333%
Net electricity imports (% of domestic generation)
Lowest reading on record
-88.540%
Net electricity imports (% of domestic generation)
Biggest rise between editions
+1,140.000
1,000.000% → 2,140.000%
Biggest fall between editions
−3,660.000
5,200.000% → 1,540.000%
Biggest change since first measured
+698.759
6.369% → 705.128%
Highest most often
18 of 25
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About electricity imports
This is how much electricity a country imported from its neighbours, minus what it exported to them, as a share of the electricity it generated itself. A negative figure means the country is a net exporter of power.
What the number is: Net electricity imports (% of domestic generation).
What it does not measure
It is measured against what a country generates, not what it uses, and it says nothing about where the imported power was made or how clean it is.
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Energy, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where electricity imports is higher, these tend to be higher too.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Moves against
Where electricity imports is higher, these tend to be lower.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 355 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
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- Gas Share of Electricity Generation
- Hydro Share of Electricity Generation
- Low-Carbon Share of Electricity Generation
- Nuclear Share of Electricity Generation
- Renewable Share of Electricity Generation
- Solar Share of Electricity Generation
- All statistics
11Questions
Electricity imports: questions and answers
Which country has the highest electricity imports?
Palestine, at 707.071%, among the 165 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest electricity imports?
Laos, at -70.159%, among the 165 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the Net Electricity Imports (share of generation) cover?
165 in 2024, and 174 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 164 to 174 between editions.
What is the world average electricity imports?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 165 compared in 2024, the figure was 0.000%.
Is this Ember’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. Ember publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Net Electricity Imports (share of generation) published?
This site holds 25 editions, describing 2000 to 2024.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From Ember, under CC BY 4.0. From Ember’s Yearly Electricity Data, the same public download its own data explorer offers. Both the share and the terawatt-hours come from Ember’s own “Net imports” row and are stored as published. Some countries are not shown — India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom among them — because Ember takes their figures from publishers whose terms do not allow reuse on a commercial site. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Net Electricity Imports (share of generation) — Ember
From Ember’s Yearly Electricity Data, the same public download its own data explorer offers. Both the share and the terawatt-hours come from Ember’s own “Net imports” row and are stored as published. Some countries are not shown — India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom among them — because Ember takes their figures from publishers whose terms do not allow reuse on a commercial site.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: Ember. Yearly Electricity Data. London: Ember (Ember Energy Research CIC).
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-10-02.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: Ember publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Electricity imports by country: Net Electricity Imports (share of generation), data from Ember. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/net-electricity-imports