Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea
South Korea: Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity was 34.04 gigawatts in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea, 2000–2025
Source: IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.
Analysis
The most recent figure for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea is 34.04 gigawatts, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 12.1% on the previous year and up 807.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea peaked at 34.04 gigawatts in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.004 gigawatts, in 2000.
That places South Korea 10th out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea, year by year
| Year | gigawatts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.004 gigawatts | — |
| 2001 | 0.005 gigawatts | +25.0% |
| 2002 | 0.005 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.006 gigawatts | +20.0% |
| 2004 | 0.009 gigawatts | +50.0% |
| 2005 | 0.014 gigawatts | +55.6% |
| 2006 | 0.036 gigawatts | +157.1% |
| 2007 | 0.081 gigawatts | +125.0% |
| 2008 | 0.357 gigawatts | +340.7% |
| 2009 | 0.524 gigawatts | +46.8% |
| 2010 | 0.768 gigawatts | +46.6% |
| 2011 | 0.894 gigawatts | +16.4% |
| 2012 | 1.27 gigawatts | +41.6% |
| 2013 | 1.83 gigawatts | +44.9% |
| 2014 | 2.73 gigawatts | +48.9% |
| 2015 | 3.75 gigawatts | +37.4% |
| 2016 | 4.7 gigawatts | +25.3% |
| 2017 | 6.06 gigawatts | +28.9% |
| 2018 | 8.11 gigawatts | +33.8% |
| 2019 | 11.04 gigawatts | +36.0% |
| 2020 | 14.66 gigawatts | +32.9% |
| 2021 | 17.59 gigawatts | +19.9% |
| 2022 | 20.13 gigawatts | +14.5% |
| 2023 | 23.02 gigawatts | +14.4% |
| 2024 | 30.37 gigawatts | +31.9% |
| 2025 | 34.04 gigawatts | +12.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 34.04 gigawatts is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.17 gigawatts, 29.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 34.04 gigawatts is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1229 gigawatts, 277.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +340.7% | 0.081 gigawatts | 0.357 gigawatts |
| 2006 | +157.1% | 0.014 gigawatts | 0.036 gigawatts |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.1041 gigawatts | 0.004 gigawatts | 0.524 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.12 gigawatts | 0.768 gigawatts | 11.04 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.3 gigawatts | 14.66 gigawatts | 34.04 gigawatts | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More energy & mining data for South Korea
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.55 % 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 25.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea?
- Solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity in South Korea was 34.04 gigawatts in 2025, according to IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 34.04 gigawatts in 2025.
- What is the lowest solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.004 gigawatts in 2000.
- How does South Korea rank for solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity?
- South Korea ranks 10th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is solar (photovoltaic) panels cumulative capacity rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 807.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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 — 26 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.