Ranking · Infrastructure · 165 countries · data 2021
Countries ranked by power plant capacity
China ranks first with 1,415.1 GW, ahead of United States (1,204.6 GW) and India (316.1 GW). 165 countries ranked, latest data 2021.
Nameplate capacity of the utility-scale power plants recorded in the WRI Global Power Plant Database, summed per country. Capacity (GW) is not the same as generation (TWh): a gigawatt of solar typically produces 1–2 TWh a year, a gigawatt of nuclear about 7–8 TWh.
Ranking rule. Capacity is the sum of all plants listed for each country in the WRI Global Power Plant Database (last updated 2021). Small rooftop solar and some recent plants are not included, so totals understate today's fleet.
Full ranking
Leaders by continent
Africa
- South Africa50.4 GW
- Egypt34.2 GW
- Algeria15.9 GW
North America
- United States1,204.6 GW
- Canada143.6 GW
- Mexico62.4 GW
Oceania
- Australia65.9 GW
- New Zealand6.7 GW
- Papua New Guinea0.4 GW
Plant capacity (GPPD): frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest plant capacity (GPPD)?
China, at 1,415.1 GW (2021). The rest of the top five: United States 1,204.6 GW, India 316.1 GW, Russia 228.2 GW, and Japan 215.4 GW.
What does “Plant capacity (GPPD)” measure?
The combined nameplate capacity of utility-scale power plants, in gigawatts. Capacity is the sum of all plants listed for each country in the WRI Global Power Plant Database (last updated 2021). Small rooftop solar and some recent plants are not included, so totals understate today's fleet.
Related rankings
Sources & references
- World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity