Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in Iran
Iran: Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity was 1.78 gigawatts in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in Iran, 2004–2025
Source: IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.
Analysis
Iran recorded 1.78 gigawatts for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in 2025. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is up 128.0% on the previous year and up 19,691.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in Iran peaked at 1.78 gigawatts in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 gigawatts, in 2004.
That places Iran 50th out of 199 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.
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in Iran, year by year
| Year | gigawatts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 0 gigawatts | — |
| 2005 | 0 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +133.3% |
| 2012 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.0006 gigawatts | +770.0% |
| 2014 | 0.009 gigawatts | +1377.8% |
| 2015 | 0.009 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0428 gigawatts | +375.9% |
| 2017 | 0.1841 gigawatts | +329.8% |
| 2018 | 0.286 gigawatts | +55.4% |
| 2019 | 0.3455 gigawatts | +20.8% |
| 2020 | 0.4294 gigawatts | +24.3% |
| 2021 | 0.4555 gigawatts | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 0.539 gigawatts | +18.3% |
| 2023 | 0.5947 gigawatts | +10.3% |
| 2024 | 0.7813 gigawatts | +31.4% |
| 2025 | 1.78 gigawatts | +128.0% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 1.78 gigawatts is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.474 gigawatts, 3.8× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Iran's 1.78 gigawatts is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.19 gigawatts, 1.5× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in Iran 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +1377.8% | 0.0006 gigawatts | 0.009 gigawatts |
| 2013 | +770.0% | 0.0001 gigawatts | 0.0006 gigawatts |
| 2016 | +375.9% | 0.009 gigawatts | 0.0428 gigawatts |
| 2017 | +329.8% | 0.0428 gigawatts | 0.1841 gigawatts |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0 gigawatts | 0 gigawatts | 0 gigawatts | 6 |
| 2010s | 0.0877 gigawatts | 0 gigawatts | 0.3455 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7635 gigawatts | 0.4294 gigawatts | 1.78 gigawatts | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More energy & mining data for Iran
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 0.5768 % 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 (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 2.0% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in Iran?
- Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in Iran was 1.78 gigawatts in 2025, according to IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 1.78 gigawatts in 2025.
- What is the lowest solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 gigawatts in 2004.
- How does Iran rank for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity?
- Iran ranks 50th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19,691.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Solar photovoltaic (on-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts.