Facts and statistics
Solar energy in numbers, for every country since 2000.
Choose a country on the map or from the list. Every figure on this page updates for that country.
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Solar electricity generation
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Solar share of electricity
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Installed solar capacity
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Largest solar producers
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Price of solar modules
US dollars per watt, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), log scale
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Cost of electricity from new plants
Levelised cost, US dollars per kWh (2025 dollars), world average
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Record solar cell efficiencies
Laboratory records, each with the certifying body and the source.
| Date | Technology | Efficiency | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2009 | Perovskite (first cell) | 3.8% | Kojima et al., JACS |
| August 2012 | Perovskite, solid-state | 9.7% | Kim et al., Scientific Reports |
| August 2017 | Silicon, heterojunction back-contact (Kaneka, 180 cm²) | 26.63% | Kaneka |
| April 2025 | Silicon, hybrid back-contact (LONGi, ISFH) | 27.81% | pv magazine |
| April 2025 | Silicon-perovskite tandem (LONGi, NREL) | 34.85% | LONGi |
| January 2026 | Perovskite, single junction (SolaEon, NPVM, 0.076 cm²) | 27.87% | pv magazine |
| July 2026 | Silicon-perovskite tandem (LONGi, ESTI) | 35.5% | pv magazine |
Facts from the data
Computed from the datasets below, not typed by hand.
Solar generated 2,779 TWh of electricity worldwide in 2025, up from 1.02 TWh in 2000.
Ember / Energy Institute / OWIDIts share of the world's electricity rose from 0.007% in 2000 to 8.7% in 2025.
Ember / Energy Institute / OWIDIn 2025, solar produced more electricity than wind worldwide for the first time: 2,779 TWh against 2,713 TWh.
Ember / Energy Institute / OWIDInstalled solar capacity reached 2,397 GW in 2025, more than double the 1,058 GW of 2022.
IRENA / OWIDThe average price of a solar module fell from US$6.50 per watt in 2000 to US$0.12 in 2025, in 2025 dollars: 98% cheaper.
IRENA and others / OWIDThe average cost of electricity from new solar plants fell from US$0.408 per kWh in 2010 to US$0.043 in 2025: 89% lower.
IRENA / OWIDChina generated 1,175 TWh of solar electricity in 2025, 42% of the world total.
Ember / Energy Institute / OWIDAmong countries that generate at least 10 TWh of electricity a year, Hungary had the highest solar share in 2025: 27.3%.
Ember / Energy Institute / OWIDIn the Middle East, solar supplied 3.5% of electricity in 2025.
Ember / Energy Institute / OWIDIraq: 0.43 TWh of solar generation in 2024, 0.29% of its electricity. IRENA counts 64 MW of solar installed in 2025.
Ember / IRENA / OWID
Sources and notes
- Generation, shares and per-person figures: Ember (2026); Energy Institute, Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); processed by Our World in Data. Licence CC BY 4.0.
- Installed capacity (solar PV and concentrated solar power, on- and off-grid): IRENA (2026), processed by Our World in Data.
- Module prices: IRENA (2025) and other sources, processed by Our World in Data. Levelised costs: IRENA (2026, 2025, 2024), processed by Our World in Data.
- Country outlines: Natural Earth (public domain). Borders are shown as Natural Earth draws them and do not imply any position on disputed territories.
- Official statistics may not fully count small rooftop and off-grid systems. Data downloaded 1 November 2026.
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