1
China
China generated 839.04 TWh of solar power in 2024, 39.2% of the world total and more than 2.7 times the United States. It also led the world in wind, at 997.04 TWh.
Share of world solar (%): 39.2Wind (TWh): 997.04
Top 10 Countries by Solar Power Generation in the World
The ten countries that generated the most solar electricity in 2024, ranked in terawatt-hours from Ember data published by Our World in Data, led by China at 839.04 TWh.
Quick answer
China generated the most solar electricity in 2024, 839.04 TWh, or 39.2% of the world total of 2,142.65 TWh. The United States was second at 303.75 TWh and India third at 143.07 TWh. The ranking uses 2024 solar generation figures compiled by Our World in Data from Ember's Yearly Electricity Data.
The world generated 2,142.65 TWh of solar electricity in 2024, and ten countries produced 79.6% of it. China alone accounted for 39.2%, nearly as much as the next nine countries on this list combined. This list ranks countries by solar electricity actually generated in 2024, not by installed panel capacity, so it reflects both how much solar a country has built and how much sun it gets.
Solar generation, 2024 (TWh)
- 1 China 839.0 TWh
- 2 United States 303.8 TWh
- 3 India 143.1 TWh
- 4 Japan 96.7 TWh
- 5 Germany 74.1 TWh
- 6 Brazil 71.3 TWh
- 7 Spain 58.3 TWh
- 8 Australia 50.2 TWh
- 9 Italy 36.0 TWh
- 10 South Korea 32.7 TWh
The ranking
2
United States
The United States generated 303.75 TWh of solar in 2024, 14.2% of the world total, and more than twice as much as third-placed India.
Share of world solar (%): 14.2Wind (TWh): 451.9
3
India
India generated 143.07 TWh of solar in 2024, 6.7% of the world total. It generated more solar than wind (81.54 TWh), as did Japan, Australia, Italy and South Korea in this top 10.
Share of world solar (%): 6.7Wind (TWh): 81.54
4
Japan
Japan generated 96.7 TWh of solar in 2024, 4.5% of the world total, more than eight times its 11.54 TWh of wind.
Share of world solar (%): 4.5Wind (TWh): 11.54
5
Germany
Germany generated 74.13 TWh of solar in 2024, 3.5% of the world total and the most of any European country, despite its northern latitude.
Share of world solar (%): 3.5Wind (TWh): 141.6
6
Brazil
Brazil generated 71.32 TWh of solar in 2024, 3.3% of the world total and the most in Latin America, only 2.81 TWh behind Germany.
Share of world solar (%): 3.3Wind (TWh): 108.49
7
Spain
Spain generated 58.29 TWh of solar in 2024, 2.7% of the world total, nearly matching its 62.2 TWh of wind.
Share of world solar (%): 2.7Wind (TWh): 62.2
8
Australia
Australia generated 50.21 TWh of solar in 2024, 2.3% of the world total, about 1.5 times its 32.74 TWh of wind.
Share of world solar (%): 2.3Wind (TWh): 32.74
9
Italy
Italy generated 35.99 TWh of solar in 2024, 1.7% of the world total, well ahead of its 22.22 TWh of wind.
Share of world solar (%): 1.7Wind (TWh): 22.22
10
South Korea
South Korea generated 32.72 TWh of solar in 2024, 1.5% of the world total, nearly ten times its 3.36 TWh of wind.
Share of world solar (%): 1.5Wind (TWh): 3.36
Full comparison
| # | Name | Share of world solar (%) | Wind (TWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 39.2 | 997.04 |
| 2 | United States | 14.2 | 451.9 |
| 3 | India | 6.7 | 81.54 |
| 4 | Japan | 4.5 | 11.54 |
| 5 | Germany | 3.5 | 141.6 |
| 6 | Brazil | 3.3 | 108.49 |
| 7 | Spain | 2.7 | 62.2 |
| 8 | Australia | 2.3 | 32.74 |
| 9 | Italy | 1.7 | 22.22 |
| 10 | South Korea | 1.5 | 3.36 |
How we ranked this
Ranked by solar electricity generation in 2024, in terawatt-hours, from the Our World in Data 'Electricity production by source' chart, and Our World in Data's energy dataset, which compile Ember's Yearly Electricity Data (2026) and the Energy Institute's Statistical Review of World Energy (2025). 2024 is the latest year with figures for every country; the dataset's 2025 figures cover only about 90 countries, so 2025 is not used. Only individual countries are ranked; regional aggregates are excluded. There are no ties; 11th place is Vietnam at 25.86 TWh, just ahead of Mexico (25.72 TWh) and Turkey (25.67 TWh). 'Share of world solar' is our calculation: each country's figure divided by the 2024 World total in the same chart (2,142.65 TWh), rounded to one decimal place. The Wind column is 2024 wind generation from the same chart. Generation is not capacity: a gigawatt of panels in a sunny country produces more than one in a cloudy one.
FAQ
Which country generates the most solar power?
China, with 839.04 TWh in 2024, 39.2% of the world's 2,142.65 TWh. The United States (303.75 TWh) and India (143.07 TWh) follow.
How much solar electricity does the world generate?
2,142.65 TWh in 2024 according to Ember data published by Our World in Data. Our World in Data's dataset shows 2,778.64 TWh for the World in 2025, but its 2025 figures cover only about 90 countries, so this list ranks 2024.
Which countries just missed the top 10?
Vietnam (25.86 TWh), Mexico (25.72 TWh) and Turkey (25.67 TWh) were within 0.2 TWh of each other in 2024, about 7 TWh behind South Korea.
Is this the same as installed solar capacity?
No. This list ranks electricity actually generated, in TWh. Capacity (in gigawatts) measures how many panels are installed; output also depends on sunshine, so the two rankings can differ.
Sources
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