Germany vs Japan: Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity
Germany
107.19 gigawatts
in 2025
Japan
92.21 gigawatts
in 2025
Germany rank
4th
Japan rank
5th
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity over time
- Germany
- Japan
How they compare
Germany currently reports 107.19 gigawatts against 92.21 gigawatts in Japan, a difference of 14.98 gigawatts.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.2 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 26 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
Germany ranks 4th and Japan ranks 5th of 199 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 | 36.89 gigawatts | 29.71 gigawatts | 7.17 gigawatts | Germany |
| 2020s | 74.8 gigawatts | 83.7 gigawatts | 8.9 gigawatts | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity, Germany or Japan?
- Germany, at 107.19 gigawatts against 92.21 gigawatts in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity between Germany and Japan?
- 14.98 gigawatts, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do Germany and Japan rank globally for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity?
- Germany ranks 4th 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.