Electricity generation from solar per person in China
China: Electricity generation from solar per person was 829.72 kilowatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
829.72 kilowatt-hours
Change on year
up 40.4%
World rank
23rd
of 214 countries
All-time high
829.72 kilowatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
0 kilowatt-hours
in 1971
Years of data
55
1971–2025
Electricity generation from solar per person in China, 1971–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity generation from solar per person in China stood at 829.72 kilowatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 40.4% on the previous year and up 2,834.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from solar per person in China peaked at 829.72 kilowatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 kilowatt-hours, in 1971.
That places China 23rd out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from solar per person in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1972 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1973 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1974 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1975 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1976 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1977 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1978 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1979 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1980 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1981 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1982 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1983 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1984 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1985 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1987 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1988 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1989 | 0 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1990 | 0.0017 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1991 | 0.0017 kilowatt-hours | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 0.0025 kilowatt-hours | +48.3% |
| 1993 | 0.0033 kilowatt-hours | +31.9% |
| 1994 | 0.0041 kilowatt-hours | +23.8% |
| 1995 | 0.0057 kilowatt-hours | +38.7% |
| 1996 | 0.0073 kilowatt-hours | +27.4% |
| 1997 | 0.0089 kilowatt-hours | +21.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0112 kilowatt-hours | +26.3% |
| 1999 | 0.0135 kilowatt-hours | +20.5% |
| 2000 | 0.0158 kilowatt-hours | +16.8% |
| 2001 | 0.0235 kilowatt-hours | +48.9% |
| 2002 | 0.0389 kilowatt-hours | +65.6% |
| 2003 | 0.0463 kilowatt-hours | +19.3% |
| 2004 | 0.0614 kilowatt-hours | +32.6% |
| 2005 | 0.0611 kilowatt-hours | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 0.0683 kilowatt-hours | +11.8% |
| 2007 | 0.083 kilowatt-hours | +21.5% |
| 2008 | 0.1125 kilowatt-hours | +35.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2086 kilowatt-hours | +85.5% |
| 2010 | 0.5179 kilowatt-hours | +148.3% |
| 2011 | 1.92 kilowatt-hours | +270.5% |
| 2012 | 2.62 kilowatt-hours | +36.6% |
| 2013 | 6.07 kilowatt-hours | +131.5% |
| 2014 | 16.94 kilowatt-hours | +179.1% |
| 2015 | 28.28 kilowatt-hours | +66.9% |
| 2016 | 47.38 kilowatt-hours | +67.6% |
| 2017 | 83.41 kilowatt-hours | +76.0% |
| 2018 | 124.66 kilowatt-hours | +49.5% |
| 2019 | 157.36 kilowatt-hours | +26.2% |
| 2020 | 183.09 kilowatt-hours | +16.4% |
| 2021 | 229.24 kilowatt-hours | +25.2% |
| 2022 | 299.8 kilowatt-hours | +30.8% |
| 2023 | 410.63 kilowatt-hours | +37.0% |
| 2024 | 591.16 kilowatt-hours | +44.0% |
| 2025 | 829.72 kilowatt-hours | +40.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 829.72 kilowatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.63 kilowatt-hours, 14.9× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 829.72 kilowatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 85.16 kilowatt-hours, 9.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from solar per person in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +270.5% | 0.5179 kilowatt-hours | 1.92 kilowatt-hours |
| 2014 | +179.1% | 6.07 kilowatt-hours | 16.94 kilowatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 kilowatt-hours | 0 kilowatt-hours | 0 kilowatt-hours | 9 |
| 1980s | 0 kilowatt-hours | 0 kilowatt-hours | 0 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.006 kilowatt-hours | 0.0017 kilowatt-hours | 0.0135 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0719 kilowatt-hours | 0.0158 kilowatt-hours | 0.2086 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.92 kilowatt-hours | 0.5179 kilowatt-hours | 157.36 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 423.94 kilowatt-hours | 183.09 kilowatt-hours | 829.72 kilowatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More energy & mining data for China
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 2.15 % 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 20.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from solar per person in China?
- Electricity generation from solar per person in China was 829.72 kilowatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from solar per person recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 829.72 kilowatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from solar per person recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilowatt-hours in 1971.
- How does China rank for electricity generation from solar per person?
- China ranks 23rd out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from solar per person rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,834.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from solar per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.