Electricity generation from solar in China
China: Electricity generation from solar was 1,175 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Electricity generation from solar in China, 1971–2025
Source: Ember (2026); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
China recorded 1,175 terawatt-hours for electricity generation from solar in 2025. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 40.0% on the previous year and up 2,876.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from solar in China peaked at 1,175 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 terawatt-hours, in 1971.
China ranks 1st 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 9 |
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0074 terawatt-hours | 0.002 terawatt-hours | 0.017 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.095 terawatt-hours | 0.02 terawatt-hours | 0.28 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.35 terawatt-hours | 0.7 terawatt-hours | 224 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 602.25 terawatt-hours | 261.1 terawatt-hours | 1,175 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More energy & mining data for China
- Fuel imports 20.4% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 15.1% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 1.5% (2024)
- Gas production 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 1.5% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 3.4% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 59.5% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from solar in China?
- Electricity generation from solar in China was 1,175 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from solar recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1,175 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from solar recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1971.
- How does China rank for electricity generation from solar?
- China ranks 1st out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from solar rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,876.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from solar. 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 terawatt-hours.