The world’s solar fleet surpassed 3 TW in early 2026 but with China forecast to install less solar this year than last, the global solar market appears on course for its first market contraction in over 20 years.
The global solar market added a record 664 GW of solar in 2025, according to SolarPower Europe’s Global Solar Market Outlook 2026-2030.
The figure repesents an increase of 69 GW compared with 2024 and 212 GW compared to 2023 but indicates that annual market growth is slowing, from 85% in 2023 and 32% in 2024 to 12% last year.
The Asia-Pacific accounted for 487 GW, or 73%, of solar added last year, with China alone installing 382 GW for a record 57% market share. India added 45.7 GW, overtaking the United States as the second largest solar market.
Europe installed 81.6 GW of solar last year, a 3% year-on-year increase, led by Germany as the fourth largest global market. The Americas added 43.2 GW, a 13% year-on-year decline, while the Middle East and Africa added 23.7 GW, a 51% increase on installations in 2024.
