Japan vs Spain: Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity
Japan
92.21 gigawatts
in 2025
Spain
44.87 gigawatts
in 2025
Japan rank
5th
Spain rank
7th
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity over time
- Japan
- Spain
How they compare
Japan currently reports 92.21 gigawatts against 44.87 gigawatts in Spain, a difference of 47.34 gigawatts.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.1 times Spain's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 26 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 5th and Spain ranks 7th of 199 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.32 gigawatts | 0.7589 gigawatts | 0.5643 gigawatts | Japan |
| 2010s | 29.71 gigawatts | 4.99 gigawatts | 24.73 gigawatts | Japan |
| 2020s | 83.7 gigawatts | 26.34 gigawatts | 57.37 gigawatts | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity, Japan or Spain?
- Japan, at 92.21 gigawatts against 44.87 gigawatts in Spain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity between Japan and Spain?
- 47.34 gigawatts, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Spain?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do Japan and Spain rank globally for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity?
- Japan ranks 5th and Spain ranks 7th 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.