Installed solar energy capacity in Australia
Australia: Installed solar energy capacity was 42.44 gigawatts in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Installed solar energy capacity in Australia, 2000–2025
Source: IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.
Analysis
The most recent figure for installed solar energy capacity in Australia is 42.44 gigawatts, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 13.6% on the previous year and up 742.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in Australia peaked at 42.44 gigawatts in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.025 gigawatts, in 2000.
Australia ranks 8th 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.
Installed solar energy capacity in Australia, year by year
| Year | gigawatts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.025 gigawatts | — |
| 2001 | 0.029 gigawatts | +16.0% |
| 2002 | 0.034 gigawatts | +17.2% |
| 2003 | 0.0394 gigawatts | +15.9% |
| 2004 | 0.0464 gigawatts | +17.8% |
| 2005 | 0.0524 gigawatts | +12.9% |
| 2006 | 0.0614 gigawatts | +17.2% |
| 2007 | 0.073 gigawatts | +18.9% |
| 2008 | 0.085 gigawatts | +16.4% |
| 2009 | 0.332 gigawatts | +290.6% |
| 2010 | 1.09 gigawatts | +228.6% |
| 2011 | 1.42 gigawatts | +30.2% |
| 2012 | 2.51 gigawatts | +76.7% |
| 2013 | 3.31 gigawatts | +31.9% |
| 2014 | 4.14 gigawatts | +24.9% |
| 2015 | 5.04 gigawatts | +21.7% |
| 2016 | 5.88 gigawatts | +16.8% |
| 2017 | 7.24 gigawatts | +23.1% |
| 2018 | 11.13 gigawatts | +53.7% |
| 2019 | 15.45 gigawatts | +38.9% |
| 2020 | 19.77 gigawatts | +28.0% |
| 2021 | 24.4 gigawatts | +23.4% |
| 2022 | 28.89 gigawatts | +18.4% |
| 2023 | 33.18 gigawatts | +14.9% |
| 2024 | 37.37 gigawatts | +12.6% |
| 2025 | 42.44 gigawatts | +13.6% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 42.44 gigawatts is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.01 gigawatts, 42.2× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Australia's 42.44 gigawatts is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1563 gigawatts, 271.6× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Installed solar energy capacity in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +290.6% | 0.085 gigawatts | 0.332 gigawatts |
| 2010 | +228.6% | 0.332 gigawatts | 1.09 gigawatts |
| 2012 | +76.7% | 1.42 gigawatts | 2.51 gigawatts |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0778 gigawatts | 0.025 gigawatts | 0.332 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.72 gigawatts | 1.09 gigawatts | 15.45 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.01 gigawatts | 19.77 gigawatts | 42.44 gigawatts | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More energy & mining data for Australia
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.4235 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 11.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is installed solar energy capacity in Australia?
- Installed solar energy capacity in Australia was 42.44 gigawatts in 2025, according to IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 42.44 gigawatts in 2025.
- 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 8th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 742.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from IRENA (2026) – 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 — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.