Germany vs Japan: Installed solar energy capacity
Germany
89.94 gigawatts
in 2024
Japan
89.6 gigawatts
in 2024
Germany rank
4th
Japan rank
5th
Installed solar energy capacity over time
- Germany
- Japan
How they compare
Germany currently reports 89.94 gigawatts against 89.6 gigawatts in Japan, a difference of 0.34 gigawatts.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
Germany ranks 4th and Japan ranks 5th of 218 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 2 and Japan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.79 gigawatts | 1.32 gigawatts | 1.47 gigawatts | Germany |
| 2010s | 36.27 gigawatts | 29.71 gigawatts | 6.56 gigawatts | Germany |
| 2020s | 67.05 gigawatts | 82 gigawatts | 14.95 gigawatts | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher installed solar energy capacity, Germany or Japan?
- Germany, at 89.94 gigawatts against 89.6 gigawatts in Japan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in installed solar energy capacity between Germany and Japan?
- 0.34 gigawatts, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Germany and Japan rank globally for installed solar energy capacity?
- Germany ranks 4th and Japan ranks 5th 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.