Installed solar energy capacity in Australia

Australia: Installed solar energy capacity was 35.86 gigawatts in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
35.86 gigawatts
Change on year
up 16.9%
World rank
9th
of 218 countries
All-time high
35.86 gigawatts
in 2024
All-time low
0.025 gigawatts
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Installed solar energy capacity in Australia, 2000–2024

0102030402000201220242000: 0.025 gigawatts2001: 0.029 gigawatts2002: 0.034 gigawatts2003: 0.039 gigawatts2004: 0.046 gigawatts2005: 0.052 gigawatts2006: 0.061 gigawatts2007: 0.073 gigawatts2008: 0.085 gigawatts2009: 0.332 gigawatts2010: 1.1 gigawatts2011: 1.4 gigawatts2012: 2.5 gigawatts2013: 3.3 gigawatts2014: 4.1 gigawatts2015: 5 gigawatts2016: 5.9 gigawatts2017: 7.2 gigawatts2018: 11.1 gigawatts2019: 15.5 gigawatts2020: 19.8 gigawatts2021: 24.4 gigawatts2022: 28.9 gigawatts2023: 30.7 gigawatts2024: 35.9 gigawatts

Source: IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.

Analysis

The most recent figure for installed solar energy capacity in Australia is 35.86 gigawatts, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is up 16.9% on the previous year and up 766.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in Australia peaked at 35.86 gigawatts in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.025 gigawatts, in 2000.

Australia ranks 9th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.0778 gigawatts 0.025 gigawatts 0.332 gigawatts 10
2010s 5.72 gigawatts 1.09 gigawatts 15.45 gigawatts 10
2020s 27.92 gigawatts 19.77 gigawatts 35.86 gigawatts 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 6 Brazil 53.12 gigawatts compare
  2. 7 Spain 38.59 gigawatts compare
  3. 8 Italy 36.01 gigawatts compare
  4. 10 South Korea 26.68 gigawatts compare
  5. 11 Netherlands 24.05 gigawatts compare
  6. 12 France 21.53 gigawatts compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More energy & mining data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is installed solar energy capacity in Australia?
Installed solar energy capacity in Australia was 35.86 gigawatts in 2024, according to IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 35.86 gigawatts in 2024.
What is the lowest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.025 gigawatts in 2000.
How does Australia rank for installed solar energy capacity?
Australia ranks 9th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 766.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Installed solar energy capacity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Installed solar energy capacity
Unit
gigawatts
Source
IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
218 places, 3,927 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.