Installed solar energy capacity in South Korea

South Korea: Installed solar energy capacity was 26.68 gigawatts in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
26.68 gigawatts
Change on year
up 13.4%
World rank
10th
of 218 countries
All-time high
26.68 gigawatts
in 2024
All-time low
0.004 gigawatts
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Installed solar energy capacity in South Korea, 2000–2024

01020302000201220242000: 0.004 gigawatts2001: 0.005 gigawatts2002: 0.005 gigawatts2003: 0.006 gigawatts2004: 0.009 gigawatts2005: 0.014 gigawatts2006: 0.036 gigawatts2007: 0.081 gigawatts2008: 0.357 gigawatts2009: 0.524 gigawatts2010: 0.651 gigawatts2011: 0.735 gigawatts2012: 1 gigawatts2013: 1.6 gigawatts2014: 2.4 gigawatts2015: 3.5 gigawatts2016: 4.3 gigawatts2017: 5.6 gigawatts2018: 7.7 gigawatts2019: 10.8 gigawatts2020: 14.8 gigawatts2021: 17.9 gigawatts2022: 20.5 gigawatts2023: 23.5 gigawatts2024: 26.7 gigawatts

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for installed solar energy capacity in South Korea is 26.68 gigawatts, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of up 13.4% on the previous year and up 994.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in South Korea peaked at 26.68 gigawatts in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.004 gigawatts, in 2000.

South Korea ranks 10th 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 0.1041 gigawatts 0.004 gigawatts 0.524 gigawatts 10
2010s 3.84 gigawatts 0.651 gigawatts 10.85 gigawatts 10
2020s 20.68 gigawatts 14.76 gigawatts 26.68 gigawatts 5

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 7 Spain 38.59 gigawatts compare
  2. 8 Italy 36.01 gigawatts compare
  3. 9 Australia 35.86 gigawatts compare
  4. 11 Netherlands 24.05 gigawatts compare
  5. 12 France 21.53 gigawatts compare
  6. 13 Poland 20.2 gigawatts compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More energy & mining data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is installed solar energy capacity in South Korea?
Installed solar energy capacity in South Korea was 26.68 gigawatts in 2024, according to IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 26.68 gigawatts in 2024.
What is the lowest installed solar energy capacity recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.004 gigawatts in 2000.
How does South Korea rank for installed solar energy capacity?
South Korea ranks 10th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 994.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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.