An original Ranking Atlas metric: the sum of OWID’s solar and wind generation (both via Energy Institute / Ember, TWh) divided by World Bank total population (SP.POP.TOTL). Formula = (solar + wind) ÷ population × 1e9, in kWh per person (rounded to integers). Only country-years where all three inputs are reported are included (no interpolation). Years before 2000 are excluded (near-zero values). Aggregates excluded.
Chart ready. Press play to start.
How to use this chart
Play/Pause starts and stops the year-by-year animation, the year slider jumps to any year, and the speed selector (0.5×, 1×, 2×) changes playback speed. Each year shows the top 12 entries out of the 30 held in the dataset.
About this ranking
About this metric. “Solar + Wind Generation per Capita” is an original metric computed by Ranking Atlas: the sum of a country’s solar and wind generation (Our World in Data, via the Energy Institute and Ember) divided by its World Bank total population, in kWh per person. Absolute rankings reward populous countries; dividing by population shows how much of everyday life actually runs on sun and wind. The methodology is disclosed on our Data Policy & Methodology page.
What to watch. The moment to watch is 2024, when Sweden (4,221 kWh) finally overtakes Denmark (4,047 kWh) — the first lead change in the race’s entire history after Denmark’s quarter-century run. Finland’s late surge from 54 kWh in 2010 to 3,811 kWh in 2024 — seventy-fold in fourteen years — is the other spectacle.
Caveats. Per-capita values favour small populations, and generation is not the same as domestic consumption — Denmark and Norway trade electricity heavily with their neighbours. The metric covers solar and wind only, excluding hydro, nuclear and geothermal; see the renewable-share ranking for the full generation mix. Population is a mid-year estimate.
Trends in the data
In 2000 Denmark generated 794 kWh of solar and wind power per person, in a class of its own — Germany managed 114 kWh that year and the United States 22 kWh. Built on early investment made after the oil shocks of the 1970s, Denmark’s lead then held for close to a quarter of a century. In 2024 Sweden (4,221 kWh) finally passed Denmark (4,047 kWh), the first change of leader in this race. Third-placed Finland (3,811 kWh) was at just 54 kWh as recently as 2010; the fourteen years in which Nordic latecomers built wind at speed and caught the pioneer are the main theme of the chart.
What this per-capita view is for is to show how far the picture from a totals ranking changes. China, first in the world for total solar and wind generation, ranks 24th here at 1,303 kWh per person. The United States is 11th at 2,222 kWh, and Japan, at 873 kWh, does not make the top 30 at all.
Rising in their place are countries such as Australia (3,050 kWh, 5th), which has among the highest rooftop-solar penetration in the world, and the Netherlands (3,073 kWh, 4th), which keeps adding offshore wind. Whether “renewable superpower” refers to totals or to the per-person figure closer to everyday life completely changes who the leading players are.
One point on construction: this is a composite the site computes by dividing combined solar and wind generation by population, so it inherits the caveats of both parts. Output varies with sunshine and wind from year to year, and the population denominator moves as well. Following the direction of a country’s line over several years is safer than reading a single year’s rank.
Trivia quiz
What set Denmark on the path to becoming a wind-power pioneer?
The oil crises of the 1970s. Heavily dependent on imported oil, Denmark pivoted away from it and nurtured a wind-turbine industry (later Vestas and others); in 1985 its parliament also resolved against nuclear power. (Source)
What is the "duck curve" that appears in grids with lots of solar power?
The daily demand curve left for other power sources: it sags at midday when solar floods in and ramps steeply after sunset. Named for its duck-like outline, it symbolises the need for batteries, pumped storage and other flexibility. (Source)
Why build wind turbines offshore rather than on land?
Winds at sea are stronger and steadier, and much larger turbines can be installed. The North Sea countries (UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany) led the way, with floating platforms now extending offshore wind into deeper waters. (Source)
Source
Our World in Data（太陽光・風力発電量）× World Bank SP.POP.TOTL（Ranking Atlas 算出）