Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan

Japan: Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources was 32.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
32.7%
Change on year
up 4.5%
World rank
111th
of 213 countries
All-time high
40.7%
in 1998
All-time low
11.7%
in 2012
Years of data
41
1985–2025

Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan, 1985–2025

102030401985200520251985: 38 %1986: 38.4 %1987: 38.7 %1988: 37.2 %1989: 36.8 %1990: 33.2 %1991: 34.5 %1992: 33.7 %1993: 38 %1994: 34.2 %1995: 37.6 %1996: 37.8 %1997: 40.2 %1998: 40.7 %1999: 38.7 %2000: 38.2 %2001: 38.7 %2002: 37.4 %2003: 31.3 %2004: 35.5 %2005: 34.3 %2006: 36 %2007: 32.3 %2008: 29.9 %2009: 33.4 %2010: 35.5 %2011: 25 %2012: 11.7 %2013: 12.4 %2014: 12.6 %2015: 15.4 %2016: 15.9 %2017: 17.9 %2018: 20.7 %2019: 23.1 %2020: 23.3 %2021: 26 %2022: 25.5 %2023: 29.8 %2024: 31.3 %2025: 32.7 %

Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Japan recorded 32.7% for share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in 2025.

That represents a change of up 4.5% on the previous year and up 112.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan peaked at 40.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 11.7%, in 2012.

That places Japan 111th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 37.8% 36.8% 38.7% 5
1990s 36.9% 33.2% 40.7% 10
2000s 34.7% 29.9% 38.7% 10
2010s 19.0% 11.7% 35.5% 10
2020s 28.1% 23.3% 32.7% 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 108 Djibouti 35.0% compare
  2. 109 French Polynesia 34.7% compare
  3. 110 Tanzania 32.9% compare
  4. 112 United Arab Emirates 31.7% compare
  5. 113 Poland 31.5% compare
  6. 114 Nigeria 31.3% compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More climate change data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan?
Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources in Japan was 32.7% in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 40.7% in 1998.
What is the lowest share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 11.7% in 2012.
How does Japan rank for share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources?
Japan ranks 111th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of 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 falling.
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 Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of electricity generation from low-carbon sources
Unit
%
Source
Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 6,483 data points, 1920–2025
Last refreshed

Measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region. 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.