Worldwide nuclear capacity rests on 430 operating reactors, while UN-backed counts show just 33 reactors under construction at the end of 2023. Nuclear supplied 1.9% of global primary energy in 2022, and pathway analyses estimate it could deliver up to 20% of global electricity-related CO2 emissions abatement potential from 2020 to 2050. The small build pipeline alongside the outsized climate role shapes how today’s nuclear power statistics should be read.
Key Takeaways
- 430 reactors operating in 2024 providing electricity worldwide—count of nuclear power reactors in operation
- 33 reactors were under construction globally at the end of 2023—UN-backed count of reactors under construction
- 1.9% of global primary energy in 2022 came from nuclear power—share of primary energy
- 20% of global electricity-related CO2 emissions abatement potential could come from nuclear over 2020–2050 in pathway analyses—abatement potential estimate
- Nuclear life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions are typically below 30 gCO2e/kWh in multiple meta-analyses—typical carbon intensity range
- By 2030, global high-level waste requiring disposal could exceed 15,000,000 canisters/units in repository planning—waste units estimate
- Collective dose from nuclear workers has declined markedly in decades; a median of ~1–2 mSv/year reported in IAEA reviews—radiation exposure metric
- In 2023, U.S. nuclear capacity factor averaged about 90%—capacity factor metric
- In 2023, U.S. nuclear generation was 789.9 billion kWh—annual net electricity generation
- In 2023, France generated 279.0 TWh from nuclear—annual electricity generation
- In 2023, Germany generated 33.7 TWh from nuclear—annual electricity generation
- From 2017–2022, the global nuclear market for services grew; 2022 global nuclear power services market was about $50–60B in multiple industry estimates—market value range for services
- The global nuclear power construction & engineering market was estimated at about $35B in 2023 by an industry analysis—market size estimate
- The global nuclear power market was valued at about $165B in 2023 and projected to grow—market size and forecast estimate
- In 2022, the global uranium spot price averaged around $50/lb—annual average uranium price
In 2024, nuclear power supplied 430 reactors worldwide and could help cut emissions through low carbon generation.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Footprint6 stats
01
430 reactors operating in 2024 providing electricity worldwide—count of nuclear power reactors in operation
02
33 reactors were under construction globally at the end of 2023—UN-backed count of reactors under construction
03
1.9% of global primary energy in 2022 came from nuclear power—share of primary energy
04
30.0% of Japan’s electricity generation in 2022 came from nuclear power—share of electricity generation (annual average)
05
19.7% of U.S. electricity generation in 2023 came from nuclear power—share of electricity generation
06
In 2022, conventional uranium resources were estimated at 9.1 million tonnes of U—resource estimate (Reasonably Assured Resources + inferred)
Interpretation
Industry Footprint Interpretation
For the industry footprint, nuclear power is already operating at large scale with 430 reactors in 2024 worldwide, yet growth is slower with only 33 reactors under construction at the end of 2023, even though it still supplies 1.9% of global primary energy and much larger shares of electricity in countries like Japan at 30.0% and the United States at 19.7%.
02 · Category
Environmental Impact3 stats
01
20% of global electricity-related CO2 emissions abatement potential could come from nuclear over 2020–2050 in pathway analyses—abatement potential estimate
02
Nuclear life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions are typically below 30 gCO2e/kWh in multiple meta-analyses—typical carbon intensity range
03
By 2030, global high-level waste requiring disposal could exceed 15,000,000 canisters/units in repository planning—waste units estimate
Interpretation
Environmental Impact Interpretation
From an environmental impact perspective, nuclear power stands out because it could supply up to 20% of the global electricity-related CO2 emissions abatement potential from 2020 to 2050 while maintaining life-cycle emissions typically under 30 gCO2e per kWh, even as long-term high-level waste disposal needs may rise to over 15,000,000 canisters by 2030.
03 · Category
Operational Metrics2 stats
01
Collective dose from nuclear workers has declined markedly in decades; a median of ~1–2 mSv/year reported in IAEA reviews—radiation exposure metric
02
In 2023, U.S. nuclear capacity factor averaged about 90%—capacity factor metric
Interpretation
Operational Metrics Interpretation
Operationally, nuclear plants appear to be getting safer and more consistent at the same time, with worker collective doses settling at a median of about 1 to 2 mSv per year per IAEA reviews while the US fleet averaged roughly a 90% capacity factor in 2023.
04 · Category
Production & Supply4 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. nuclear generation was 789.9 billion kWh—annual net electricity generation
02
In 2023, France generated 279.0 TWh from nuclear—annual electricity generation
03
In 2023, Germany generated 33.7 TWh from nuclear—annual electricity generation
04
Nuclear contributed 75–80% of France’s electricity in 2023—share of electricity generation
Interpretation
Production & Supply Interpretation
In the Production & Supply context, nuclear power delivered 789.9 billion kWh to the US in 2023 while in France it generated 279.0 TWh and supplied roughly 75–80% of all electricity, showing how nuclear’s role can be both sizable and supply critical depending on the country.
More related reading
05 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
From 2017–2022, the global nuclear market for services grew; 2022 global nuclear power services market was about $50–60B in multiple industry estimates—market value range for services
02
The global nuclear power construction & engineering market was estimated at about $35B in 2023 by an industry analysis—market size estimate
03
The global nuclear power market was valued at about $165B in 2023 and projected to grow—market size and forecast estimate
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a market size perspective, nuclear power is expanding across segments, with global nuclear power services reaching roughly $50 to $60B in 2022 and the overall nuclear power market valued at about $165B in 2023 with further growth forecast, alongside construction and engineering estimated near $35B in 2023.
06 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
In 2022, the global uranium spot price averaged around $50/lb—annual average uranium price
02
In 2023, the OECD-NEA reported that uranium enrichment capacity investment requirements can exceed billions of dollars globally—CAPEX estimate
03
Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) estimates for nuclear in the U.S. and EU often fall around $50–$120/MWh depending on financing and build duration—LCOE range from reviews
04
Financing cost can be the largest contributor to nuclear LCOE in model-based studies—sensitivity result
05
A 2023 peer-reviewed study found that project delays increase nuclear overnight costs multiplicatively via interest during construction—delay sensitivity mechanism quantified
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis for nuclear power shows that while uranium prices hovered around $50 per pound in 2022 and LCOE estimates often land between $50 and $120 per MWh, the biggest cost pressure comes from financing and construction delays, including enrichment investment requirements that can run into billions of dollars and delays that can multiply overnight costs through interest during construction.
07 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
An IEA analysis estimated that achieving net-zero targets would require tripling nuclear capacity growth by 2030 relative to baseline—capacity growth multiplier
02
In 2022, the share of nuclear in low-carbon generation portfolios remained a major contributor in scenarios—scenario statistic
03
In 2023, the World Nuclear Association reported that Russia, China, and India accounted for the majority of reactors under construction—share by leading countries (proportion)
04
In 2023, there were 8 SMR designs in advanced stages globally according to WNA—count of advanced SMR designs
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
From an industry trends perspective, nuclear momentum is being shaped by the need to triple nuclear capacity growth by 2030 relative to baseline, alongside a pipeline where reactors under construction are concentrated in countries like Russia, China, and India and global advanced small modular reactor designs already number 8 as of 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Nuclear power’s scale and role are measurable, but varied by time and place
Nuclear remains a significant electricity source worldwide, with ongoing construction and varying shares of generation by country.
430
430 reactors operating in 2024 providing electricity worldwide—count of nuclear power reactors in operation
33
33 reactors were under construction globally at the end of 2023—UN-backed count of reactors under construction
1.9%
1.9% of global primary energy in 2022 came from nuclear power—share of primary energy
30%
30.0% of Japan’s electricity generation in 2022 came from nuclear power—share of electricity generation (annual average)
19.7%
19.7% of U.S. electricity generation in 2023 came from nuclear power—share of electricity generation
source-verifiediaea.org · ourworldindata.org · iea.org · eia.gov2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Nuclear Power Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nuclear-power-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Nuclear Power Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/nuclear-power-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Nuclear Power Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nuclear-power-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)