France vs Japan: Electricity Compared
France generated 574 TWh of electricity in 2025 and Japan 1,027 TWh, according to Ember. France's largest source was nuclear (68.3%); Japan's was gas (32.7%). Each kWh generated emitted 41 gCO2/kWh in France and 474 gCO2/kWh in Japan. These are Ember annual statistics for 2025, compiled from national sources; they are not real time.
Who is bigger and who is cleaner? Japan is the bigger electricity producer, generating 1.8 times as much as France in 2025 (1,027 TWh against 574 TWh). France has the cleaner electricity by carbon intensity, at 41 gCO2/kWh against 474 gCO2/kWh in Japan in 2025.
Why this comparison: both among the 20 largest electricity users.
Open this comparison in the interactive tool to add more countries or change the metric.
Key Facts
- Nuclear supplied 68.3% of France's electricity in 2025, against 9.2% in Japan.
- Japan's electricity was 11.5 times as carbon intensive as France's in 2025, at 474 gCO2/kWh against 41 gCO2/kWh.
- Low carbon sources supplied 94.9% of France's electricity in 2025 and 33.1% of Japan's.
- Electricity demand in 2025 was 481 TWh in France and 1,027 TWh in Japan.
Key Figures, 2025
Ember annual statistics| Measure | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Total generation | 574 TWh | 1,027 TWh |
| Electricity demand | 481 TWh | 1,027 TWh |
| Demand per person | 7.15 MWh | 8.37 MWh |
| Carbon intensity | 41 gCO2/kWh | 474 gCO2/kWh |
| Power sector emissions | 23.7 MtCO2 | 487 MtCO2 |
| Low carbon share | 94.9% | 33.1% |
| Largest source | Nuclear 68.3% | Gas 32.7% |
Generation Mix, 2025
Share of generation| Source | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 68.3% | 9.2% |
| Gas | 3.0% | 32.7% |
| Coal | 0.3% | 31.8% |
| Solar | 5.6% | 10.8% |
| Hydro | 10.3% | 7.2% |
| Wind | 8.8% | 1.3% |
| Bioenergy | 1.8% | 4.6% |
| Other fossil | 1.8% | 2.4% |
| Other renewables | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Carbon Intensity, 1985 to 2025
Ember annual statistics| Year | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | n/a | 421 gCO2/kWh |
| 1986 | n/a | 417 gCO2/kWh |
| 1987 | n/a | 417 gCO2/kWh |
| 1988 | n/a | 427 gCO2/kWh |
| 1989 | n/a | 429 gCO2/kWh |
| 1990 | 104 gCO2/kWh | 447 gCO2/kWh |
| 1991 | 122 gCO2/kWh | 438 gCO2/kWh |
| 1992 | 102 gCO2/kWh | 445 gCO2/kWh |
| 1993 | 69 gCO2/kWh | 419 gCO2/kWh |
| 1994 | 67 gCO2/kWh | 444 gCO2/kWh |
| 1995 | 73 gCO2/kWh | 424 gCO2/kWh |
| 1996 | 79 gCO2/kWh | 423 gCO2/kWh |
| 1997 | 71 gCO2/kWh | 408 gCO2/kWh |
| 1998 | 97 gCO2/kWh | 404 gCO2/kWh |
| 1999 | 87 gCO2/kWh | 419 gCO2/kWh |
| 2000 | 80 gCO2/kWh | 424 gCO2/kWh |
| 2001 | 69 gCO2/kWh | 424 gCO2/kWh |
| 2002 | 75 gCO2/kWh | 434 gCO2/kWh |
| 2003 | 81 gCO2/kWh | 476 gCO2/kWh |
| 2004 | 77 gCO2/kWh | 450 gCO2/kWh |
| 2005 | 86 gCO2/kWh | 462 gCO2/kWh |
| 2006 | 77 gCO2/kWh | 447 gCO2/kWh |
| 2007 | 80 gCO2/kWh | 470 gCO2/kWh |
| 2008 | 76 gCO2/kWh | 485 gCO2/kWh |
| 2009 | 76 gCO2/kWh | 460 gCO2/kWh |
| 2010 | 79 gCO2/kWh | 447 gCO2/kWh |
| 2011 | 75 gCO2/kWh | 505 gCO2/kWh |
| 2012 | 78 gCO2/kWh | 595 gCO2/kWh |
| 2013 | 76 gCO2/kWh | 596 gCO2/kWh |
| 2014 | 52 gCO2/kWh | 592 gCO2/kWh |
| 2015 | 59 gCO2/kWh | 578 gCO2/kWh |
| 2016 | 69 gCO2/kWh | 567 gCO2/kWh |
| 2017 | 78 gCO2/kWh | 558 gCO2/kWh |
| 2018 | 60 gCO2/kWh | 542 gCO2/kWh |
| 2019 | 60 gCO2/kWh | 529 gCO2/kWh |
| 2020 | 59 gCO2/kWh | 528 gCO2/kWh |
| 2021 | 60 gCO2/kWh | 515 gCO2/kWh |
| 2022 | 79 gCO2/kWh | 520 gCO2/kWh |
| 2023 | 53 gCO2/kWh | 493 gCO2/kWh |
| 2024 | 40 gCO2/kWh | 484 gCO2/kWh |
| 2025 | 41 gCO2/kWh | 474 gCO2/kWh |
Demand per Person, 1985 to 2025
Ember annual statistics| Year | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | n/a | n/a |
| 1986 | n/a | n/a |
| 1987 | n/a | n/a |
| 1988 | n/a | n/a |
| 1989 | n/a | n/a |
| 1990 | n/a | n/a |
| 1991 | n/a | n/a |
| 1992 | n/a | n/a |
| 1993 | n/a | n/a |
| 1994 | n/a | n/a |
| 1995 | n/a | n/a |
| 1996 | n/a | n/a |
| 1997 | n/a | n/a |
| 1998 | n/a | n/a |
| 1999 | n/a | n/a |
| 2000 | 7.79 MWh | 8.66 MWh |
| 2001 | 7.92 MWh | 8.51 MWh |
| 2002 | 7.86 MWh | 8.65 MWh |
| 2003 | 8.11 MWh | 8.56 MWh |
| 2004 | 8.25 MWh | 8.77 MWh |
| 2005 | 8.26 MWh | 9.01 MWh |
| 2006 | 8.12 MWh | 9.10 MWh |
| 2007 | 8.09 MWh | 9.21 MWh |
| 2008 | 8.27 MWh | 9.24 MWh |
| 2009 | 7.97 MWh | 8.69 MWh |
| 2010 | 8.38 MWh | 9.02 MWh |
| 2011 | 8.02 MWh | 8.62 MWh |
| 2012 | 8.17 MWh | 8.65 MWh |
| 2013 | 8.21 MWh | 8.52 MWh |
| 2014 | 7.72 MWh | 8.34 MWh |
| 2015 | 7.86 MWh | 8.09 MWh |
| 2016 | 7.95 MWh | 8.37 MWh |
| 2017 | 7.90 MWh | 8.48 MWh |
| 2018 | 7.83 MWh | 8.53 MWh |
| 2019 | 7.73 MWh | 8.27 MWh |
| 2020 | 7.32 MWh | 8.01 MWh |
| 2021 | 7.65 MWh | 8.23 MWh |
| 2022 | 7.29 MWh | 8.33 MWh |
| 2023 | 7.05 MWh | 8.10 MWh |
| 2024 | 7.09 MWh | 8.21 MWh |
| 2025 | 7.15 MWh | 8.37 MWh |
France history · Japan history
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025.
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Cite this page
World Power Monitor. (2025). France vs Japan: Electricity Compared. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-japan/
World Power Monitor. France vs Japan: Electricity Compared. Data as of 2025. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-japan/
@misc{wpm_compare_france_vs_japan_2025,
title = {{France vs Japan: Electricity Compared}},
author = {{World Power Monitor}},
year = {2025},
note = {Data as of 2025. Data from Ember.},
url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-japan/}
} Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-japan/
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