China vs India: Installed solar energy capacity
China
887.1 gigawatts
in 2024
India
97.58 gigawatts
in 2024
China rank
1st
India rank
3rd
Installed solar energy capacity over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 887.1 gigawatts against 97.58 gigawatts in India, a difference of 789.52 gigawatts.
That makes China's figure about 9.1 times India's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd of 218 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.1562 gigawatts | 0.0174 gigawatts | 0.1389 gigawatts | China |
| 2010s | 68.94 gigawatts | 10.37 gigawatts | 58.58 gigawatts | China |
| 2020s | 490.18 gigawatts | 64.76 gigawatts | 425.42 gigawatts | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher installed solar energy capacity, China or India?
- China, at 887.1 gigawatts against 97.58 gigawatts in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in installed solar energy capacity between China and India?
- 789.52 gigawatts, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for installed solar energy capacity?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Installed solar energy capacity. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.