Installed solar energy capacity in Japan
Japan: Installed solar energy capacity was 92.21 gigawatts in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Installed solar energy capacity in Japan, 2000–2025
Source: IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.
Analysis
Japan recorded 92.21 gigawatts for installed solar energy capacity in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 170.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in Japan peaked at 92.21 gigawatts in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.33 gigawatts, in 2000.
That places Japan 5th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | gigawatts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.33 gigawatts | — |
| 2001 | 0.453 gigawatts | +37.3% |
| 2002 | 0.637 gigawatts | +40.6% |
| 2003 | 0.86 gigawatts | +35.0% |
| 2004 | 1.13 gigawatts | +31.6% |
| 2005 | 1.42 gigawatts | +25.6% |
| 2006 | 1.71 gigawatts | +20.1% |
| 2007 | 1.92 gigawatts | +12.4% |
| 2008 | 2.14 gigawatts | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 2.63 gigawatts | +22.5% |
| 2010 | 3.62 gigawatts | +37.7% |
| 2011 | 4.91 gigawatts | +35.8% |
| 2012 | 6.63 gigawatts | +35.0% |
| 2013 | 13.6 gigawatts | +105.1% |
| 2014 | 23.34 gigawatts | +71.6% |
| 2015 | 34.15 gigawatts | +46.3% |
| 2016 | 42.04 gigawatts | +23.1% |
| 2017 | 49.5 gigawatts | +17.7% |
| 2018 | 56.16 gigawatts | +13.5% |
| 2019 | 63.19 gigawatts | +12.5% |
| 2020 | 71.87 gigawatts | +13.7% |
| 2021 | 78.41 gigawatts | +9.1% |
| 2022 | 83.06 gigawatts | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 87.07 gigawatts | +4.8% |
| 2024 | 89.6 gigawatts | +2.9% |
| 2025 | 92.21 gigawatts | +2.9% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 92.21 gigawatts is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.01 gigawatts, 91.7× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Japan's 92.21 gigawatts is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1563 gigawatts, 590.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.32 gigawatts | 0.33 gigawatts | 2.63 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.71 gigawatts | 3.62 gigawatts | 63.19 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.7 gigawatts | 71.87 gigawatts | 92.21 gigawatts | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More energy & mining data for Japan
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.7535 % 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 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 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 19.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is installed solar energy capacity in Japan?
- Installed solar energy capacity in Japan was 92.21 gigawatts in 2025, according to IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 92.21 gigawatts in 2025.
- What is the lowest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.33 gigawatts in 2000.
- How does Japan rank for installed solar energy capacity?
- Japan ranks 5th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 170.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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.