Australia vs Japan: Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity
Australia
42.44 gigawatts
in 2025
Japan
92.21 gigawatts
in 2025
Australia rank
8th
Japan rank
5th
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity over time
- Australia
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 92.21 gigawatts against 42.44 gigawatts in Australia, a difference of 49.77 gigawatts.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.2 times Australia's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Australia ranks 8th and Japan ranks 5th of 199 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0767 gigawatts | 1.32 gigawatts | 1.25 gigawatts | Japan |
| 2010s | 5.72 gigawatts | 29.71 gigawatts | 24 gigawatts | Japan |
| 2020s | 31.01 gigawatts | 83.7 gigawatts | 52.7 gigawatts | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity, Australia or Japan?
- Japan, at 92.21 gigawatts against 42.44 gigawatts in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity between Australia and Japan?
- 49.77 gigawatts, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Japan?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do Australia and Japan rank globally for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity?
- Australia ranks 8th and Japan ranks 5th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IRENA (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Solar photovoltaic (on-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts.