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Data as of 2024
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Built 2026-10-28 (28 October 2026)

China Has the Most Solar Capacity, 887 GW in 2024

Ember's latest complete year of installed capacity data is 2024. Among the 55 countries with at least 1.00 GW of solar capacity in 2024, China has the most, 887 GW, and it also added the most since 2019, +682 GW. Thailand ran its solar plants at the highest capacity factor, 30.6%. Worldwide, solar capacity was 1,880 GW in 2024, against 590 GW in 2019.

Key Facts

  • The latest complete Ember year of installed capacity data is 2024; each country is compared with its own 2019 and 2014 figures.
  • World solar capacity was 1,880 GW in 2024, 590 GW in 2019 and 179 GW in 2014.
  • World solar generation was 2,155 TWh in 2024, a capacity factor of 13.0% on 1,880 GW.
  • China has the most solar capacity: 887 GW in 2024, generating 839 TWh.
  • Over 2019 to 2024, China added the most solar capacity: +682 GW, to 887 GW.
  • Over 2014 to 2024, China added the most solar capacity: +859 GW, to 887 GW.
  • Poland grew fastest in percentage terms since 2019 among countries that already had 1.00 GW or more: +1,419%.
  • Capacity factor in 2024 ranged from 0.7% in Syria to 30.6% in Thailand, across 54 countries with a usable figure.

Countries With the Most Solar Capacity, 2024

Ember, 2009 to 2024

Installed capacity, 2024

Installed solar capacity in 2024, GW
China887 GW
United States178 GW
India98.5 GW
Germany91.2 GW
Japan89.6 GW
Brazil53.1 GW
Spain38.2 GW
Australia36.0 GW
Italy35.4 GW
South Korea26.7 GW

Highest capacity factor, 2024

Highest solar capacity factor in 2024, percent
Thailand30.6%
Egypt27.9%
Colombia27.5%
United Arab Emirates26.6%
Argentina26.0%
Mexico24.4%
Malaysia23.6%
South Africa23.0%
Israel21.3%
Chile20.9%
Installed solar capacity, five largest countries Installed solar capacity in GW for the five countries with the most in 2024, 2009 to 2024. China ends at 887 GW; United States ends at 178 GW; India ends at 98.5 GW; Germany ends at 91.2 GW; Japan ends at 89.6 GW. 0 250 500 750 1,000 2009201420192024
Installed solar capacity in GW for the five countries with the most in 2024, 2009 to 2024. China ends at 887 GW; United States ends at 178 GW; India ends at 98.5 GW; Germany ends at 91.2 GW; Japan ends at 89.6 GW.
Annual statistics, 2009 to 2024
Installed solar capacity, five largest countries
YearChinaUnited StatesIndiaGermanyJapan
2009410 MW2.09 GW40 MW10.6 GW2.63 GW
20101.02 GW3.38 GW70 MW18.0 GW3.62 GW
20113.11 GW5.64 GW570 MW25.9 GW4.91 GW
20126.72 GW8.61 GW990 MW34.1 GW6.63 GW
201317.8 GW13.0 GW1.60 GW36.7 GW13.6 GW
201428.4 GW17.7 GW3.78 GW37.9 GW23.3 GW
201543.6 GW23.4 GW5.70 GW39.2 GW34.2 GW
201677.8 GW34.7 GW9.98 GW40.7 GW42.0 GW
2017131 GW43.1 GW18.3 GW42.3 GW49.5 GW
2018175 GW51.6 GW27.5 GW45.2 GW56.2 GW
2019205 GW60.8 GW35.3 GW48.9 GW63.2 GW
2020254 GW75.8 GW39.7 GW53.7 GW71.9 GW
2021307 GW94.8 GW50.0 GW60.0 GW78.4 GW
2022393 GW113 GW63.5 GW61.2 GW83.1 GW
2023610 GW140 GW73.1 GW75.5 GW87.1 GW
2024887 GW178 GW98.5 GW91.2 GW89.6 GW

Solar Capacity, Growth and Capacity Factor by Country, 2024

55 countries
Installed solar capacity by country in 2024, change since 2019 and 2014, generation and capacity factor. Column headings sort the table.
CountryCapacity 2024Change since 2019Growth since 2019Change since 2014Growth since 2014Generation 2024Capacity factor 2024
China887 GW+682 GW+333%+859 GW+3,024%839 TWh10.8%
United States178 GW+117 GW+192%+160 GW+906%304 TWh19.5%
India98.5 GW+63.2 GW+179%+94.7 GW+2,505%142 TWh16.4%
Germany91.2 GW+42.3 GW+86%+53.3 GW+141%74.1 TWh9.3%
Japan89.6 GW+26.4 GW+42%+66.3 GW+284%96.7 TWh12.3%
Brazil53.1 GW+48.4 GW+1,037%+53.1 GWn/a71.3 TWh15.3%
Spain38.2 GW+27.0 GW+242%+31.1 GW+443%58.3 TWh17.4%
Australia36.0 GW+20.6 GW+133%+31.9 GW+770%50.2 TWh15.9%
Italy35.4 GW+14.8 GW+72%+17.0 GW+92%36.0 TWh11.6%
South Korea26.7 GW+15.8 GW+146%+24.2 GW+993%32.7 TWh14.0%
France25.5 GW+15.7 GW+160%+19.6 GW+334%25.1 TWh11.2%
Netherlands24.8 GW+17.5 GW+243%+23.8 GW+2,352%21.8 TWh10.0%
Poland21.7 GW+20.3 GW+1,419%+21.7 GWn/a17.7 TWh9.3%
Turkey20.2 GW+14.2 GW+237%+20.2 GWn/a25.7 TWh14.4%
United Kingdom19.0 GW+5.66 GW+42%+13.5 GW+244%14.8 TWh8.9%
Vietnam18.7 GW+13.7 GW+274%+18.7 GWn/a32.9 TWh20.1%
Taiwan14.3 GW+10.1 GW+244%+13.6 GW+2,131%15.2 TWh12.1%
Mexico12.0 GW+5.74 GW+92%+11.8 GW+6,953%25.7 TWh24.4%
Chile11.0 GW+8.30 GW+305%+10.8 GW+4,909%20.2 TWh20.9%
Belgium9.64 GW+5.12 GW+113%+6.66 GW+223%8.56 TWh10.1%
South Africa9.06 GW+6.25 GW+222%+7.90 GW+681%18.3 TWh23.0%
Austria8.90 GW+7.19 GW+420%+8.11 GW+1,027%8.14 TWh10.4%
Greece8.83 GW+6.08 GW+221%+6.23 GW+240%11.3 TWh14.5%
Switzerland7.76 GW+5.34 GW+221%+6.72 GW+646%5.66 TWh8.3%
Hungary7.17 GW+5.77 GW+412%+7.08 GWn/a9.20 TWh14.6%
United Arab Emirates6.50 GW+4.56 GW+235%+6.37 GW+4,900%15.2 TWh26.6%
Saudi Arabia6.20 GW+6.09 GW+5,536%+6.18 GWn/a8.23 TWh15.1%
Canada5.82 GW+2.99 GW+106%+4.25 GW+271%9.42 TWh18.4%
Portugal5.81 GW+4.84 GW+499%+5.39 GW+1,283%7.09 TWh13.9%
Israel5.61 GW+3.47 GW+162%+4.95 GW+750%10.5 TWh21.3%
Sweden4.85 GW+4.12 GW+564%+4.79 GWn/a4.16 TWh9.8%
Bulgaria4.56 GW+3.52 GW+338%+3.53 GW+343%5.49 TWh13.7%
Romania4.26 GW+2.86 GW+204%+2.97 GW+230%3.42 TWh9.1%
Czechia3.98 GW+1.90 GW+91%+1.92 GW+93%3.59 TWh10.3%
Denmark3.94 GW+2.86 GW+265%+3.33 GW+546%3.78 TWh10.9%
Pakistan3.72 GW+2.97 GW+396%+3.55 GW+2,088%19.8 TWhn/a
Thailand3.39 GW+400 MW+13%+2.09 GW+161%9.10 TWh30.6%
Uzbekistan3.19 GW+3.19 GWn/a+3.19 GWn/a2.90 TWh10.3%
Malaysia3.07 GW+2.24 GW+270%+2.90 GW+1,706%6.37 TWh23.6%
Philippines2.99 GW+1.99 GW+199%+2.96 GWn/a2.08 TWh7.9%
Lithuania2.58 GW+2.45 GW+1,885%+2.51 GWn/a1.40 TWh6.2%
Egypt2.55 GW+900 MW+55%+2.52 GWn/a6.25 TWh27.9%
Russia2.26 GW+830 MW+58%+1.95 GW+629%2.92 TWh14.7%
Jordan2.20 GW+1.23 GW+127%+2.20 GWn/a3.93 TWh20.3%
Argentina1.74 GW+1.29 GW+287%+1.73 GWn/a3.97 TWh26.0%
Syria1.61 GW+1.61 GWn/a+1.61 GWn/a100 GWh0.7%
Sri Lanka1.58 GW+1.23 GW+351%+1.56 GWn/a1.17 TWh8.4%
Ireland1.49 GW+1.39 GW+1,390%+1.49 GWn/a1.09 TWh8.3%
Colombia1.42 GW+1.40 GWn/a+1.42 GWn/a3.43 TWh27.5%
Dominican Republic1.42 GW+1.09 GW+330%+1.41 GWn/a1.55 TWh12.4%
Slovenia1.42 GW+1.14 GW+407%+1.20 GW+545%1.27 TWh10.2%
Kazakhstan1.23 GW+690 MW+128%+1.22 GWn/a1.89 TWh17.5%
Finland1.22 GW+1.01 GW+481%+1.21 GWn/a940 GWh8.8%
Singapore1.21 GW+940 MW+348%+1.18 GWn/a1.28 TWh12.0%
Lebanon1.08 GW+1.00 GWn/a+1.08 GWn/a1.60 TWh16.9%

Countries with at least 1.00 GW of solar capacity in 2024: 55 are listed, and 113 countries with less are left out. Each is compared with its own 2019 and 2014 values; a country that has not published 2024 is not listed, and a blank means Ember has no figure. Growth in percent is shown only when the earlier year had at least 100 MW; a tiny base gives meaningless percentages.

How Capacity Factor Is Calculated

2024, 8,784 hours

Capacity factor is a country's solar generation in 2024 divided by its installed capacity times the 8,784 hours in 2024, using the same year for both. It is the share of the year the fleet would have needed to run at full output to produce what it did. Guards: the factor is left blank where capacity is missing or under 1.00 GW, where generation is missing, and where it comes out above 50% (1 country here), which is treated as a data error or under reported capacity (the ceiling is 100% for most fuels and lower for solar, where no whole fleet reaches it). If capacity grew during 2024, the factor is understated, because a full year of output is set against the larger figure.

Lowest capacity factor, 2024

Lowest solar capacity factor in 2024, percent
Syria0.7%
Lithuania6.2%
Philippines7.9%
Switzerland8.3%
Ireland8.3%
Sri Lanka8.4%
Finland8.8%
United Kingdom8.9%
Romania9.1%
Germany9.3%

Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2024. Installed capacity and generation from Ember annual statistics, complete years to 2024.

Cite this page
APA 7

World Power Monitor. (2024). Solar Capacity by Country: Installed GW and Capacity Factor. https://worldpowermonitor.com/capacity/solar/

Plain text

World Power Monitor. Solar Capacity by Country: Installed GW and Capacity Factor. Data as of 2024. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/capacity/solar/

BibTeX 
@misc{wpm_capacity_solar_2024,
  title = {{Solar Capacity by Country: Installed GW and Capacity Factor}},
  author = {{World Power Monitor}},
  year = {2024},
  note = {Data as of 2024. Data from Ember.},
  url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/capacity/solar/}
}

Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/capacity/solar/

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