Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan
Japan: Electricity generation from low-carbon sources was 336.82 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▲ Rising
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan, 1965–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan stood at 336.82 terawatt-hours.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and up 112.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan peaked at 431.38 terawatt-hours in 1998 and was at its lowest, 69.18 terawatt-hours, in 1967.
That places Japan 8th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 76.09 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 79.93 terawatt-hours | +5.0% |
| 1967 | 69.18 terawatt-hours | -13.5% |
| 1968 | 74.49 terawatt-hours | +7.7% |
| 1969 | 76.43 terawatt-hours | +2.6% |
| 1970 | 80.22 terawatt-hours | +5.0% |
| 1971 | 92.45 terawatt-hours | +15.2% |
| 1972 | 94.83 terawatt-hours | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 76.74 terawatt-hours | -19.1% |
| 1974 | 102.69 terawatt-hours | +33.8% |
| 1975 | 108.91 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 1976 | 118.04 terawatt-hours | +8.4% |
| 1977 | 105.16 terawatt-hours | -10.9% |
| 1978 | 130.19 terawatt-hours | +23.8% |
| 1979 | 152.24 terawatt-hours | +16.9% |
| 1980 | 171.97 terawatt-hours | +13.0% |
| 1981 | 176.55 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 193.91 terawatt-hours | +9.8% |
| 1983 | 209.59 terawatt-hours | +8.1% |
| 1984 | 218 terawatt-hours | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 255.15 terawatt-hours | +17.0% |
| 1986 | 259.99 terawatt-hours | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 278.18 terawatt-hours | +7.0% |
| 1988 | 280.17 terawatt-hours | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 294.6 terawatt-hours | +5.1% |
| 1990 | 292.81 terawatt-hours | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 314.76 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 1992 | 308.94 terawatt-hours | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 351.86 terawatt-hours | +13.9% |
| 1994 | 336.21 terawatt-hours | -4.4% |
| 1995 | 380.02 terawatt-hours | +13.0% |
| 1996 | 388.98 terawatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 424.13 terawatt-hours | +9.0% |
| 1998 | 431.38 terawatt-hours | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 417.77 terawatt-hours | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 420.15 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 418.86 terawatt-hours | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 412.9 terawatt-hours | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 342.21 terawatt-hours | -17.1% |
| 2004 | 398.3 terawatt-hours | +16.4% |
| 2005 | 395.83 terawatt-hours | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 418.76 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 2007 | 380.77 terawatt-hours | -9.1% |
| 2008 | 353.72 terawatt-hours | -7.1% |
| 2009 | 371.93 terawatt-hours | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 410.6 terawatt-hours | +10.4% |
| 2011 | 276.43 terawatt-hours | -32.7% |
| 2012 | 129.32 terawatt-hours | -53.2% |
| 2013 | 135.15 terawatt-hours | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 133.9 terawatt-hours | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 158.54 terawatt-hours | +18.4% |
| 2016 | 169.45 terawatt-hours | +6.9% |
| 2017 | 192.37 terawatt-hours | +13.5% |
| 2018 | 224.45 terawatt-hours | +16.7% |
| 2019 | 242.05 terawatt-hours | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 236.03 terawatt-hours | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 269.36 terawatt-hours | +14.1% |
| 2022 | 264.96 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 300.32 terawatt-hours | +13.3% |
| 2024 | 318.02 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 2025 | 336.82 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 336.82 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.82 terawatt-hours, 34.3× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Japan's 336.82 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.98 terawatt-hours, 343.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | -53.2% | 276.43 terawatt-hours | 129.32 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 75.23 terawatt-hours | 69.18 terawatt-hours | 79.93 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 106.15 terawatt-hours | 76.74 terawatt-hours | 152.24 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 233.81 terawatt-hours | 171.97 terawatt-hours | 294.6 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 364.69 terawatt-hours | 292.81 terawatt-hours | 431.38 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 391.34 terawatt-hours | 342.21 terawatt-hours | 420.15 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 207.23 terawatt-hours | 129.32 terawatt-hours | 410.6 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 287.58 terawatt-hours | 236.03 terawatt-hours | 336.82 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More climate change data for Japan
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 337.64 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,181 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,633 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 8,547 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.71 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 305.27 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 9,462 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,401 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 7,061 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 9.06 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan?
- Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan was 336.82 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 431.38 terawatt-hours in 1998.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.18 terawatt-hours in 1967.
- How does Japan rank for electricity generation from low-carbon sources?
- Japan ranks 8th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from low-carbon sources rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 112.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from low-carbon sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours. Low-carbon sources correspond to renewables and nuclear power, that produce significantly less greenhouse-gas emissions than fossil fuels. Renewables include solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal, wave, and tidal.