China vs India: Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity
China
1,200 gigawatts
in 2025
India
130.99 gigawatts
in 2025
China rank
1st
India rank
3rd
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 1,200 gigawatts against 130.99 gigawatts in India, a difference of 1,069 gigawatts.
That makes China's figure about 9.2 times India's.
Across all 21 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd of 199 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 | 0.135 gigawatts | 0.0038 gigawatts | 0.1312 gigawatts | China |
| 2010s | 68.56 gigawatts | 9.63 gigawatts | 58.93 gigawatts | China |
| 2020s | 607.59 gigawatts | 73.8 gigawatts | 533.79 gigawatts | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity, China or India?
- China, at 1,200 gigawatts against 130.99 gigawatts in India as of 2025.
- What is the difference in solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity between China and India?
- 1,069 gigawatts, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd 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.