Countries with the highest level of electricity production from nuclear plants. Timeline from 1966 to 2018.
Countries Generating the Most Nuclear Power (1966–2018)
1. United States
The US was the global leader in nuclear power generation throughout this period.
Started commercial nuclear power plants in the late 1950s and rapidly expanded capacity in the 1970s and 1980s.
By the 1990s and 2000s, US nuclear power contributed about 20% of the country’s electricity, the highest absolute nuclear generation worldwide.
2. France
France developed nuclear power aggressively from the 1970s onward as part of a national energy independence strategy.
By the 1980s, France’s electricity generation from nuclear reached over 70%, the highest share globally.
France ranks second in total nuclear power generation due to its extensive fleet of reactors.
3. Russia / Soviet Union
The Soviet Union began large-scale nuclear power development in the 1970s.
Russia continued operating and building nuclear plants after the USSR’s dissolution in 1991.
It ranks third globally in cumulative nuclear power generation.
4. Japan
Japan rapidly expanded nuclear power from the 1970s to the early 2000s to reduce fossil fuel imports.
Nuclear power peaked at about 30% of Japan’s electricity generation before the 2011 Fukushima disaster led to shutdowns and slow restarts.
5. Germany
Germany invested heavily in nuclear power from the 1970s onward.
Nuclear contributed about 25% of electricity at peak, but the country decided to phase out nuclear by 2022 following the Fukushima incident.
6. South Korea
Developed nuclear power starting in the 1970s, with significant expansion since the 1990s.
By the 2010s, nuclear power accounted for about 30% of South Korea’s electricity.
7. United Kingdom
The UK pioneered early nuclear technology and expanded nuclear power from the 1960s onward.
Nuclear power reached about 20% of electricity generation at its peak.
General Trends (1966–2018):
1960s-1980s: Rapid growth of nuclear power in the US, Western Europe (France, UK, Germany), Soviet Union, and Japan.
1990s-2000s: Steady operation with some countries expanding (South Korea), others stabilizing or reducing plans.
Post-2010: Mixed trends — Fukushima disaster (2011) triggered phase-outs (Germany, Japan), but others continued steady production or expansions (China not included here as its major growth happened mostly post-2010).
Summary Table (Approximate Cumulative Nuclear Generation):
Country Notes
United States Largest cumulative nuclear power producer
France Highest nuclear share in electricity
Russia (USSR) Third-largest nuclear producer
Japan Major nuclear producer until Fukushima
Germany Large nuclear fleet, now phased out
South Korea Significant growth since 1990s
United Kingdom Early nuclear leader
Source: Data Is Beautiful
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