Electricity generation from solar per person in United States
United States: Electricity generation from solar per person was 1,120 kilowatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Electricity generation from solar per person in United States, 1983–2025
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 United States stood at 1,120 kilowatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 27.3% on the previous year and up 835.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from solar per person in United States peaked at 1,120 kilowatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0127 kilowatt-hours, in 1983.
United States ranks 10th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from solar per person in United States, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 0.0127 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1984 | 0.0221 kilowatt-hours | +75.0% |
| 1985 | 0.0444 kilowatt-hours | +100.6% |
| 1986 | 0.0581 kilowatt-hours | +30.8% |
| 1987 | 0.0431 kilowatt-hours | -25.9% |
| 1988 | 0.037 kilowatt-hours | -14.1% |
| 1989 | 1.01 kilowatt-hours | +2630.6% |
| 1990 | 1.46 kilowatt-hours | +44.9% |
| 1991 | 1.86 kilowatt-hours | +27.4% |
| 1992 | 1.57 kilowatt-hours | -15.5% |
| 1993 | 1.81 kilowatt-hours | +14.9% |
| 1994 | 1.89 kilowatt-hours | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 1.92 kilowatt-hours | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 2 kilowatt-hours | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 1.95 kilowatt-hours | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 1.9 kilowatt-hours | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 1.86 kilowatt-hours | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 1.74 kilowatt-hours | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 1.9 kilowatt-hours | +9.1% |
| 2002 | 1.92 kilowatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 1.83 kilowatt-hours | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 1.98 kilowatt-hours | +8.4% |
| 2005 | 1.86 kilowatt-hours | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 1.71 kilowatt-hours | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 2.02 kilowatt-hours | +18.4% |
| 2008 | 2.82 kilowatt-hours | +39.5% |
| 2009 | 2.89 kilowatt-hours | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 3.89 kilowatt-hours | +34.6% |
| 2011 | 5.79 kilowatt-hours | +49.0% |
| 2012 | 13.65 kilowatt-hours | +135.7% |
| 2013 | 28.24 kilowatt-hours | +106.8% |
| 2014 | 89.5 kilowatt-hours | +216.9% |
| 2015 | 119.68 kilowatt-hours | +33.7% |
| 2016 | 166.69 kilowatt-hours | +39.3% |
| 2017 | 232.63 kilowatt-hours | +39.6% |
| 2018 | 278.64 kilowatt-hours | +19.8% |
| 2019 | 316.44 kilowatt-hours | +13.6% |
| 2020 | 385.11 kilowatt-hours | +21.7% |
| 2021 | 483.36 kilowatt-hours | +25.5% |
| 2022 | 600.44 kilowatt-hours | +24.2% |
| 2023 | 695.65 kilowatt-hours | +15.9% |
| 2024 | 879.35 kilowatt-hours | +26.4% |
| 2025 | 1,120 kilowatt-hours | +27.3% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1,120 kilowatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 354.01 kilowatt-hours, 3.2× the median. (75 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from solar per person in United States 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +2630.6% | 0.037 kilowatt-hours | 1.01 kilowatt-hours |
| 2014 | +216.9% | 28.24 kilowatt-hours | 89.5 kilowatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1753 kilowatt-hours | 0.0127 kilowatt-hours | 1.01 kilowatt-hours | 7 |
| 1990s | 1.82 kilowatt-hours | 1.46 kilowatt-hours | 2 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.07 kilowatt-hours | 1.71 kilowatt-hours | 2.89 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 125.52 kilowatt-hours | 3.89 kilowatt-hours | 316.44 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 693.92 kilowatt-hours | 385.11 kilowatt-hours | 1,120 kilowatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
More energy & mining data for United States
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 1.94 % 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 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 7.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from solar per person in United States?
- Electricity generation from solar per person in United States was 1,120 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 1,120 kilowatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from solar per person recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0127 kilowatt-hours in 1983.
- How does United States rank for electricity generation from solar per person?
- United States ranks 10th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from solar per person rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 835.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States 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 — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.