Electricity consumption by data centres increased by 10%, figures show
Electricity consumption by Data Centres in Ireland has increased by 10% in 2025, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The percentage of total metered electricity consumption used by data centres grew to 23% in 2025, which is an increase of 18% at 5% in 2015.
In terms of data centre consumption, the 10% rise was seen through 6,973 Gigawatt hours in 2024, to 7,663 GWh in 2025. Although consumption by all other users rose by 2% over the same period.
When tracked on a quarterly basis from 2015 to 2025, the CSO found that data centre electricity consumption grew from 291 GWh in Q1 2015 to 1,991 GWh in Q4 2025. Total metered electricity consumption rose by 34% between 2015 and 2025.
The CSO say that large energy users, including data centres, accounted for the largest overall share of consumption at 33% in 2025. Total residential consumption accounted for 28% of usage, compared with 23% by data centres.
Dr Grzegorz Głaczyński, Statistician in the Climate and Energy Division of the CSO, said: “Newly compiled quarterly figures spanning 2015 to 2025 highlight a substantial increase in metered electricity consumption by data centres. Over this period, data centre consumption saw a significant increase, from 291 GWh in the first quarter of 2015 to 1,991 GWh in Q4 2025, growing by 584%.
“Data centre electricity consumption grew by 10% in 2025 compared with 2024. Consumption by all other users, including residential and other business customers, increased by 2% over the same period.
“Data centre consumption has grown every single year without exception, more than doubling between 2015 and 2019 from 1,240 GWh to 2,490 GWh, and tripling again between 2019 and 2025, reaching 7,663 GWh.
“Parallel data on nationwide power usage indicates that data centres expanded their share of overall metered electricity from 5% in 2015 to 23% in 2025. For comparison, 2025 consumption stood at 18% for urban households and 9% for rural households.”