China vs United States of America: Solar energy generation by region
China
1,173 terawatt-hours
in 2025
United States of America
392.75 terawatt-hours
in 2025
China rank
1st
United States of America rank
2nd
Solar energy generation by region over time
- China
- United States of America
How they compare
China currently reports 1,173 terawatt-hours against 392.75 terawatt-hours in United States of America, a difference of 780.25 terawatt-hours.
That makes China's figure about 3.0 times United States of America's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 43 shared years of data; in 1983 it was United States of America ahead.
China ranks 1st and United States of America ranks 2nd of 79 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.0437 terawatt-hours | 0.0437 terawatt-hours | United States of America |
| 1990s | 0.0074 terawatt-hours | 0.4866 terawatt-hours | 0.4792 terawatt-hours | United States of America |
| 2000s | 0.0965 terawatt-hours | 0.9381 terawatt-hours | 0.8416 terawatt-hours | United States of America |
| 2010s | 66.35 terawatt-hours | 43.72 terawatt-hours | 22.63 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2020s | 601.97 terawatt-hours | 241.03 terawatt-hours | 360.94 terawatt-hours | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher solar energy generation by region, China or United States of America?
- China, at 1,173 terawatt-hours against 392.75 terawatt-hours in United States of America as of 2025.
- What is the difference in solar energy generation by region between China and United States of America?
- 780.25 terawatt-hours, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States of America?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1983 to 2025.
- How do China and United States of America rank globally for solar energy generation by region?
- China ranks 1st and United States of America ranks 2nd of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Solar energy generation by region. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Figures are based on gross generation and do not account for cross-border electricity supply.