Nuclear Power Production by Country

Currently, around 401 nuclear power reactors are in operation in 32 countries. The United States has the highest number of active nuclear reactors globally, with 93 total.

The following are the top 5 countries with the highest nuclear power production (as of 2022):

1. United States

The United States operates 93 nuclear reactors in 30 states with a total capacity of 95.52 gigawatts. In 2022, these reactors produced 772,221 gigawatt-hours of energy, contributing over 31.05% to global nuclear energy production.

The United States consumes 20% of the country’s electricity, primarily generated from natural gas and coal.

2. China

China is the world’s second-largest producer of nuclear energy, with a net installed capacity of 52.13 GW. There are 54 nuclear reactors in China, but nuclear power plays a relatively minor role in the country’s massive energy system. Nuclear energy generated only 5% of Chinese electricity in 2022. In the same year, total nuclear power production reached 395,353 GWh.

3. France

France produces approximately 62.6% of the electricity it consumes from nuclear energy, the largest share in the world. The country has 56 operational reactors that collectively generated 282,093 GWh in 2022. The French Government has vowed to build more reactors to decarbonize its power generation by 2050. It plans to increase its renewable energy generation and decrease the share of nuclear energy to less than 50% by 2035.

4. Russia

Russia has 37 operating reactors with a combined net capacity of 27.73 GW. Two additional reactors, totaling a net capacity of 2.3GW, are currently being built as a component of the Kursk II project.

In 2022, Russia produced 282,093 GWh of nuclear energy, accounting for approximately 20% of its total electricity.

 5. South Korea

South Korea is equipped with 25 nuclear reactors, boasting a collective capacity of 24.49 GW. In 2022, these reactors produced 209,516 GWh of nuclear energy. Each of these fuels generates approximately 30.4% of the country’s total electricity, trailing behind coal’s 42% dominance of the Korean energy market. 

What is the biggest nuclear power plant?

The Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant used to be Japan’s central site for increasing atomic power to 50% of the country’s energy mix by 2030. It’s a large complex by the sea, covering 4.2 million square meters.

Which countries have nuclear weapons?

The following nine countries possess nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, France, China, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea.

Which countries do not have a nuclear plant?

Australia, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Norway, and Serbia are countries that do not have nuclear plants.