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2024 saw most nuclear power ever generated, totalling 2,667 TWh
2/9/2025
News
Nuclear reactors worldwide generated 2,667 TWh of electricity in 2024. This is the largest amount of electricity ever supplied in one year from nuclear energy, surpassing the previous record of 2,660 TWh in 2006. So says the World Nuclear Association’s annual Performance Report, which tracks nuclear construction and energy output across the globe based on publicly available information from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other sources.
The report found that seven reactors completed construction and were connected to the grid in 2024. Three of these were located in China, with the remaining four in the United Arab Emirates, France, India and the US.
In 2025, 416 nuclear power reactors are operating in 31 countries, with a total installed net generating capacity of 376 GW, according to IAEA data.
WNA reports that there are currently 70 reactors under construction worldwide, with construction on nine reactors starting in 2024, six in China and one each in Pakistan, Egypt and Russia.
The increase in global nuclear generation seen over recent years is primarily due to a rapid increase in capacity in Asia. Of the 68 reactors commissioned worldwide over the past decade, 56 were built in Asian countries. This momentum shows no sign of slowing, with 59 of the 70 reactors currently under construction also located in the region.
The report also found that in 2024 the global average capacity factor was 83%, up from 82% in 2023. The authors described this as higher than any other source of electricity. In addition, they said that this measure of reliability – calculated as actual generation divided by theoretical maximum generation at full capacity – is reflected consistently over the past 20 years. Reactor performance remains high regardless of age and older reactors having some of the highest capacity factors.
In the near term, global nuclear capacity is expected to continue to rise incrementally, but less than the rate of rising electricity demand. Director General of World Nuclear Association Sama Bilbao y León, said: 'The new record electricity generation from nuclear energy in 2024 is a testament to the industry. To meet our global energy and climate goals, it is a record that needs to be bettered again and again, every year, by increasingly larger amounts'.
Five countries account for more than two-thirds of the world’s total nuclear electricity generation capacity, according to a new analysis published by the US Energy Information Administration based on IAEA data. The US has the most capacity (94 reactors totalling 97 GW net capacity, generating 782 GWh in 2024), followed by France (57 reactors totalling 63 GW net capacity, generating 320 GWh in 2023), China (57 reactors totalling 55 GW net capacity, generating 433 GWh in 2023), Russia (36 reactors totalling 27 GW net capacity) and South Korea (26 reactors totalling 26 GW net capacity).
The report also said that the US nuclear reactor fleet operates at a comparatively high capacity factor (92% in 2024) because of increased utility efficiency in managing planned and unplanned generation outages. Most of the operating US nuclear generating capacity was constructed between 1967 and 1990. In contrast, China has the fastest nuclear growth rate in the world, as its 57 reactors were commissioned since 1991.
