Countries by Nuclear Share of Electricity Generation, 2026 Snapshot
Countries and Territories by Nuclear Share of Electricity Generation, 2026 Snapshot
France ranks first in this 2026 snapshot, with nuclear power supplying 68.79% of domestic electricity generation in the 2025 observed dataset. Slovakia ranks second at 66.43%, and Ukraine ranks third at 55.76%. The full ranking covers 32 confirmed countries and territories with a positive nuclear electricity share.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The metric is the share of electricity generated by nuclear power, measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in each country or territory. A higher value means nuclear occupies a larger part of the domestic electricity generation mix. This is not a ranking by reactor count, installed nuclear capacity, total nuclear generation, electricity price or energy security.
The table is a compiled research dataset based on one row-level numeric source and four context or methodology sources. Row-level values come from the Our World in Data indicator “Share of electricity generated by nuclear power,” adapted from Ember and the Energy Institute with major OWID processing. IAEA PRIS is used only as a nuclear-sector context and cross-check source, not as the row-level ranking source. All 32 rows are observed dataset values; there are 0 forecast rows and 0 modeled projection rows.
Highest confirmed nuclear share in the 2025 OWID-processed positive-share dataset.
The gap between France and the lowest positive entry is 67.66 percentage points.
Countries and territories with missing values or 0% nuclear generation are excluded from the ranked list.
32 OWID-processed observed rows; 0 official forecasts; 0 modeled projections. Data checked June 17, 2026.
Overview
This ranking highlights dependence within the electricity generation mix, not the physical scale of a nuclear fleet. A small or medium-sized power system can rank very high if nuclear plants supply a large share of domestic generation. A very large producer can rank lower when nuclear is only one component of a broader power mix.
The top tier is concentrated in Europe. All Top 10 entries are European, and exactly 10 entries are above the 30% threshold. France, Slovakia and Ukraine are the only entries above 50%, while Romania is the last entry above 20%. Pakistan, at rank 22, is the last entry above 10%.
Outside Europe, the highest entries are South Korea, Armenia and the United Arab Emirates. The lower part of the table includes large electricity systems such as the United States, China, India and Brazil. Their nuclear share is lower, but absolute nuclear output can still be large, so this percentage ranking should be read together with generation volume and capacity when comparing scale.
Top 10 countries and territories by nuclear share of electricity generation
The Top 10 shows where nuclear power is a central pillar of domestic electricity production. France and Slovakia form a two-country top tier above 66%, Ukraine stands alone above 55%, and the next group ranges from Czechia at 42.30% to Belgium at 33.08%.
| Rank | Entity | Value | Source / Method Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 68.79% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 2 | Slovakia | 66.43% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 3 | Ukraine | 55.76% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 4 | Czechia | 42.30% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 5 | Hungary | 40.01% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 6 | Finland | 39.88% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 7 | Slovenia | 39.29% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 8 | Bulgaria | 39.12% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 9 | Belarus | 36.60% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 10 | Belgium | 33.08% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
Table note: values are OWID-processed observed dataset values adapted from Ember and the Energy Institute, not direct national official releases. Values are shown to two decimals.
Chart: Top 20 confirmed entries by nuclear power share
The chart shows the Top 20 confirmed entries from the same 2025 dataset. France and Slovakia are close at the top, Ukraine forms a separate high-share tier, and Canada closes the Top 20 at 13.08%.
Methodology
The metric is nuclear electricity generation divided by total electricity produced, multiplied by 100. The unit is percent of electricity generation. The target data year is 2025, and the page is labelled as a 2026 snapshot because the OWID data page was updated on April 24, 2026 and checked for this article on June 17, 2026.
The row-level ranking was checked against the Our World in Data data endpoint for “Share of electricity generated by nuclear power.” Reproducible selection rule: keep Year = 2025, keep countries and territories only, exclude regions and aggregates, exclude missing values, exclude 0% nuclear-share rows, then sort by value descending. This produces 32 positive-share entries.
Row-level source
The numeric ranking uses OWID’s processed indicator adapted from Ember and the Energy Institute. OWID describes the measure as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region. For this article, the row values are observed dataset values, not direct national official statistical releases.
PRIS cross-check
IAEA PRIS publishes a 2025 nuclear-share report with reactor capacity, operated reactors, nuclear electricity supplied and nuclear share. Its public report page showed “Nuclear Share of Electricity Generation in 2025” with last update on 2026-06-16 when checked before publication. PRIS is used for nuclear-sector context, not for row-level ranking values.
Source hierarchy
The row-level source is the OWID data series. Ember and the Energy Institute are the underlying original data providers cited by OWID. PRIS, Ember methodology pages and Energy Institute materials are used to explain context, data lineage and limits.
Rounding and rank rule
Values are shown to two decimals. Rank is sorted by value descending. If two displayed values are equal, the underlying numeric value is used first; if still equal, entity name is used alphabetically.
Coverage and exclusions
Top N equals the confirmed number of positive-share rows: 32. Countries and territories with 0% nuclear generation, missing 2025 values or aggregate-region rows are excluded. The article does not call this a Top 100 ranking because 100 positive 2025 rows are not available for this metric.
Limits of the metric
The indicator does not measure total nuclear generation, reactor count, net capacity, imports, electricity prices, grid reliability, safety performance, uranium supply, lifecycle emissions or policy quality. PRIS and OWID also use different reporting frames, such as electricity produced versus electricity supplied, so direct row-by-row equivalence should not be assumed.
No modeled projection is used, so no base year, base value, growth parameter or projection formula is applied. The ranking is a latest-observed 2025 dataset snapshot checked on June 17, 2026.
Main ranking table: 32 countries and territories by nuclear share of electricity generation
Use the controls to search the ranking, compare regions and view the Top 10, Top 20 or all confirmed entries. The original rank remains tied to the 2025 observed value.
| Rank | Entity | Value | Source / Method Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 68.79% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 2 | Slovakia | 66.43% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 3 | Ukraine | 55.76% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 4 | Czechia | 42.30% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 5 | Hungary | 40.01% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 6 | Finland | 39.88% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 7 | Slovenia | 39.29% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 8 | Bulgaria | 39.12% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 9 | Belarus | 36.60% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 10 | Belgium | 33.08% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 11 | Switzerland | 29.87% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 12 | South Korea | 29.56% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
| 13 | Sweden | 27.59% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 14 | Armenia | 26.95% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia/Caucasus. |
| 15 | United Arab Emirates | 22.92% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
| 16 | Romania | 20.48% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 17 | Spain | 18.78% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 18 | Russia | 18.33% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe/Eurasia. |
| 19 | United States | 17.36% | OWID observed; 2025; North America. |
| 20 | Canada | 13.08% | OWID observed; 2025; North America. |
| 21 | United Kingdom | 12.45% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 22 | Pakistan | 12.16% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
| 23 | Japan | 9.14% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
| 24 | Argentina | 7.03% | OWID observed; 2025; South America. |
| 25 | China | 4.61% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
| 26 | South Africa | 4.21% | OWID observed; 2025; Africa. |
| 27 | Netherlands | 2.96% | OWID observed; 2025; Europe. |
| 28 | Mexico | 2.85% | OWID observed; 2025; North America. |
| 29 | India | 2.59% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
| 30 | Brazil | 2.11% | OWID observed; 2025; South America. |
| 31 | Iran | 1.86% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
| 32 | Taiwan | 1.13% | OWID observed; 2025; Asia. |
Source note: row-level values are from Our World in Data’s “Share of electricity generated by nuclear power” series, adapted from Ember and the Energy Institute with major OWID processing. Data checked June 17, 2026. Selection rule: 2025, countries and territories only, positive values only.
Insights
Only three entries exceed 50%: France, Slovakia and Ukraine. That makes the top of the ranking a narrow high-dependence group rather than a broad global pattern.
Exactly 10 entries are above 30%, 16 are above 20%, and 22 are above 10%. The distribution drops quickly after the European high-share group.
Europe accounts for 17 of the 32 positive-share entries and 15 of the Top 20. Asia has 9 entries, North America 3, South America 2 and Africa 1.
The United Arab Emirates ranks 15th at 22.92%, standing out as a newer nuclear-power entrant with a higher share than several older and larger electricity systems.
The lower-share group is not a sign that nuclear power is irrelevant. Japan, China, South Africa, Mexico, India, Brazil, Iran and Taiwan remain in the positive-share dataset, but nuclear power does not dominate their national electricity generation mix in 2025. For large systems, a low percentage can still represent significant generation volume.
What It Means
A high nuclear electricity share means the power system is more exposed to reactor availability, outage schedules, lifetime-extension decisions, nuclear fuel logistics and regulatory choices. That can support low-carbon generation, but it also increases the importance of fleet reliability, maintenance planning and replacement investment.
A lower share can mean different things depending on system size. In China, India or the United States, nuclear can be a major source in absolute terms while ranking below smaller countries by percentage. For investment, policy or climate analysis, this table should be paired with absolute nuclear generation, installed capacity, renewables share, fossil generation and electricity demand growth.
The ranking should not be read as a complete judgment of energy security, decarbonization or electricity affordability. It is a precise electricity-mix indicator: useful for identifying reliance on nuclear electricity, but not sufficient for judging grid performance, public acceptance, safety or overall energy policy.
FAQ
Which country has the highest nuclear share of electricity generation?
France ranks first with 68.79% of electricity generation coming from nuclear power in the 2025 observed dataset used for this 2026 snapshot.
Which countries are above 50% nuclear electricity?
France, Slovakia and Ukraine are the only entries above 50%. Czechia ranks fourth at 42.30%, below the 50% threshold.
Is this ranking based on 2026 electricity generation?
No. It is a 2026 snapshot based on the latest comparable 2025 observed dataset. The OWID data page was last updated on April 24, 2026 and checked for this article on June 17, 2026.
Are these direct national official statistics?
No. The row values are OWID-processed observed dataset values adapted from Ember and the Energy Institute. They should not be described as direct national official statistical releases.
Why are countries and territories with 0% nuclear power not listed?
The purpose is to rank positive nuclear-share entries. Countries and territories with 0% nuclear generation would all tie at zero and would not add useful ranking information.
Why does the United States rank below many smaller countries?
The United States has a very large electricity system with many generation sources. Nuclear generation can be large in absolute terms while making up a lower share of total electricity production.
Why is IAEA PRIS not the main row-level source?
IAEA PRIS is used as a 2025 nuclear-sector context and cross-check source. The row-level ranking uses OWID/Ember/Energy Institute because it provides a consistently processed indicator for the exact share metric used across the table.
What does this metric not measure?
It does not measure reactor safety, total nuclear generation, nuclear capacity, electricity imports, costs, prices, reliability, public opinion, uranium supply or total low-carbon electricity.
Sources
Main data page for the metric. The indicator is measured as a percentage of total electricity produced and is adapted from Ember and the Energy Institute with major OWID processing. Source page last updated April 24, 2026.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-electricity-nuclearRow-level numeric source used for the reproducible check on June 17, 2026. Selection rule: Year = 2025, countries and territories only, positive values only, sorted by value descending.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-electricity-nuclear.csv?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=falseUnderlying electricity-data source cited by OWID for recent electricity generation data. Used as part of the source lineage behind the OWID-processed indicator.
https://ember-energy.org/data/yearly-electricity-data/Underlying source cited by OWID for the wider historical energy series and context on global energy statistics.
https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review/Context and cross-check source for nuclear-sector reporting. The PRIS report page lists reactor capacity, operated reactors, nuclear electricity supplied and nuclear share, with last update on 2026-06-16 when checked before publication.
https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/WorldStatistics/NuclearShareofElectricityGeneration.aspx
