China Solar Power: Generation, Share and Trend
China generated 1,173 TWh of electricity from solar in 2025, 11.2% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the largest solar power producer in 2025 of the 180 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Solar supplied 8.8% of the world's electricity in 2025. These are annual statistics for 2025, with monthly figures through July 2026; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- China generated 1,173 TWh of electricity from solar in 2025.
- Solar supplied 11.2% of China's electricity in 2025.
- China was the largest solar power producer in 2025 among the 180 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- China's solar generation in 2025 was 349% higher than in 2020, when it was 261 TWh.
- China's solar generation in 2025 was 30 times the 2015 level of 39.5 TWh.
- 2025 was China's highest year for solar generation in Ember's records, which start in 1985.
- China's solar share in 2025 was above the world share of 8.8%.
- China had 1,202 GW of solar generating capacity in 2025.
Key Figures, 2025
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Solar generation | 1,173 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Share of China's electricity | 11.2% | 2025 · Ember |
| World share of solar | 8.8% | 2025 · Ember |
| Rank by solar generation (each country's latest year) | 1 of 180 | 2025 · Ember |
| Solar capacity | 1,202 GW | 2025 · Ember |
Solar Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 1985 to 2025Annual statistics through 2025, TWh
| Year | Solar |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 0 TWh |
| 1986 | 0 TWh |
| 1987 | 0 TWh |
| 1988 | 0 TWh |
| 1989 | 0 TWh |
| 1990 | 0 TWh |
| 1991 | 0 TWh |
| 1992 | 0 TWh |
| 1993 | 0 TWh |
| 1994 | 0 TWh |
| 1995 | 10.0 GWh |
| 1996 | 10.0 GWh |
| 1997 | 10.0 GWh |
| 1998 | 10.0 GWh |
| 1999 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2000 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2001 | 30.0 GWh |
| 2002 | 50.0 GWh |
| 2003 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2004 | 80.0 GWh |
| 2005 | 80.0 GWh |
| 2006 | 100 GWh |
| 2007 | 110 GWh |
| 2008 | 150 GWh |
| 2009 | 280 GWh |
| 2010 | 700 GWh |
| 2011 | 2.61 TWh |
| 2012 | 3.60 TWh |
| 2013 | 8.37 TWh |
| 2014 | 23.5 TWh |
| 2015 | 39.5 TWh |
| 2016 | 66.5 TWh |
| 2017 | 118 TWh |
| 2018 | 177 TWh |
| 2019 | 224 TWh |
| 2020 | 261 TWh |
| 2021 | 327 TWh |
| 2022 | 427 TWh |
| 2023 | 584 TWh |
| 2024 | 839 TWh |
| 2025 | 1,173 TWh |
Annual statistics through 2025, % of generation
| Year | China | World |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1986 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1987 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1988 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1989 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1990 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1991 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1992 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1993 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1994 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1995 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1996 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1997 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1998 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 1999 | 0.0% | n/a |
| 2000 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | 2.6% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| 2023 | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| 2024 | 8.4% | 7.0% |
| 2025 | 11.2% | 8.8% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,173 TWh | 11.2% | 8.8% | 1,202 GW |
| 2024 | 839 TWh | 8.4% | 7.0% | 887 GW |
| 2023 | 584 TWh | 6.2% | 5.6% | 610 GW |
| 2022 | 427 TWh | 4.9% | 4.6% | 393 GW |
| 2021 | 327 TWh | 3.9% | 3.7% | 307 GW |
| 2020 | 261 TWh | 3.4% | 3.2% | 254 GW |
| 2019 | 224 TWh | 3.0% | 2.6% | 205 GW |
| 2018 | 177 TWh | 2.5% | 2.2% | 175 GW |
| 2017 | 118 TWh | 1.8% | 1.8% | 131 GW |
| 2016 | 66.5 TWh | 1.1% | 1.3% | 77.8 GW |
Full year by year history for China
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.
Solar Generation Month by Month
Ember monthly statistics through July 2026Monthly statistics through July 2026, TWh
| Month | Solar |
|---|---|
| 2024-08 | 89.1 TWh |
| 2024-09 | 73.7 TWh |
| 2024-10 | 71.2 TWh |
| 2024-11 | 62.9 TWh |
| 2024-12 | 65.2 TWh |
| 2025-01 | 69.1 TWh |
| 2025-02 | 76.1 TWh |
| 2025-03 | 87.6 TWh |
| 2025-04 | 100 TWh |
| 2025-05 | 109 TWh |
| 2025-06 | 118 TWh |
| 2025-07 | 130 TWh |
| 2025-08 | 123 TWh |
| 2025-09 | 104 TWh |
| 2025-10 | 85.3 TWh |
| 2025-11 | 86.4 TWh |
| 2025-12 | 85.2 TWh |
| 2026-01 | 82.8 TWh |
| 2026-02 | 88.5 TWh |
| 2026-03 | 105 TWh |
| 2026-04 | 113 TWh |
| 2026-05 | 127 TWh |
| 2026-06 | 140 TWh |
| 2026-07 | 143 TWh |
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of July 2026. Monthly figures for China can differ slightly from the annual totals.