Share of electricity generation from solar in Japan

Japan: Share of electricity generation from solar was 9.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
9.8%
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
52nd
of 213 countries
All-time high
9.8%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1985
Years of data
41
1985–2025

Share of electricity generation from solar in Japan, 1985–2025

02468101985200520251985: 0 %1986: 0 %1987: 0 %1988: 0 %1989: 0 %1990: 0 %1991: 0 %1992: 0.001 %1993: 0.002 %1994: 0.003 %1995: 0.004 %1996: 0.005 %1997: 0.009 %1998: 0.014 %1999: 0.02 %2000: 0.031 %2001: 0.046 %2002: 0.063 %2003: 0.087 %2004: 0.113 %2005: 0.141 %2006: 0.172 %2007: 0.196 %2008: 0.219 %2009: 0.274 %2010: 0.344 %2011: 0.493 %2012: 0.666 %2013: 1.2 %2014: 2.2 %2015: 3.4 %2016: 4.1 %2017: 5 %2018: 5.7 %2019: 6.4 %2020: 7.5 %2021: 8.1 %2022: 8.8 %2023: 9.6 %2024: 9.5 %2025: 9.8 %

Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of electricity generation from solar in Japan is 9.8%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.

The figure is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 192.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from solar in Japan peaked at 9.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1985.

Japan ranks 52nd of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5
1990s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10
2000s 0.1% 0.0% 0.3% 10
2010s 2.9% 0.3% 6.4% 10
2020s 8.9% 7.5% 9.8% 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 49 Turkey 10.5% compare
  2. 50 Slovenia 10.4% compare
  3. 51 Dominican Republic 9.9% compare
  4. 53 Romania 9.8% compare
  5. 54 Sierra Leone 9.5% compare
  6. 55 Honduras 9.5% compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More energy & mining data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of electricity generation from solar in Japan?
Share of electricity generation from solar in Japan was 9.8% in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of electricity generation from solar recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 9.8% in 2025.
What is the lowest share of electricity generation from solar recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1985.
How does Japan rank for share of electricity generation from solar?
Japan ranks 52nd out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of electricity generation from solar rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 192.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of electricity generation from solar. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of electricity generation from solar
Unit
%
Source
Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 6,480 data points, 1920–2025
Last refreshed

Measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region.