Japan vs United States: Solar energy generation vs. capacity
Japan
110,787 terawatt-hours
in 2025
United States
392,747 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Japan rank
4th
United States rank
2nd
Solar energy generation vs. capacity over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 392,747 terawatt-hours against 110,787 terawatt-hours in Japan, a difference of 281,960 terawatt-hours.
That makes United States's figure about 3.5 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 43 shared years of data; in 1983 it was United States ahead.
Japan ranks 4th and United States ranks 2nd of 79 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and United States in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 43.73 terawatt-hours | 43.73 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 1990s | 61.56 terawatt-hours | 486.64 terawatt-hours | 425.09 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 2000s | 1,534 terawatt-hours | 938.1 terawatt-hours | 596.07 terawatt-hours | Japan |
| 2010s | 31,312 terawatt-hours | 43,723 terawatt-hours | 12,411 terawatt-hours | United States |
| 2020s | 92,473 terawatt-hours | 241,031 terawatt-hours | 148,558 terawatt-hours | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher solar energy generation vs. capacity, Japan or United States?
- United States, at 392,747 terawatt-hours against 110,787 terawatt-hours in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in solar energy generation vs. capacity between Japan and United States?
- 281,960 terawatt-hours, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1983 to 2025.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for solar energy generation vs. capacity?
- Japan ranks 4th and United States 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 vs. capacity. 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.