Global nuclear power generation reached a new record in 2025, with Asia accounting for much of the increase as China, India, South Korea and Japan expand or revive their nuclear programmes.

Nuclear reactors worldwide generated 2,702 TWh of electricity in 2025, up 35 TWh from 2,667 TWh in 2024, according to the World Nuclear Association’s World Nuclear Outlook Report 2026. Nuclear supplied about 9% of global electricity.

The report, published on September 7, says nuclear generation has recovered steadily since the declines that followed the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March, 2011. The strongest growth has come from Asia, where nuclear output was about two-and-a-half times higher in 2025 than in 2012, according to WNA.

The figures underline the increasingly important role of Asian markets in the global nuclear industry. China alone generated 448.4 TWh of nuclear electricity in 2025, equivalent to 5% of its electricity generation, according to WNA data. China had 64 operable reactors with 64GW of net capacity and a further 37 reactors, representing about 42GW, under construction. Another 44 reactors were classified as planned.

China was also the main source of new construction activity in 2025. Eleven reactors started construction worldwide, nine of them in China and two in Russia, according to the World Nuclear Outlook Report. Three reactors were connected to the grid during the year, including one in China and one in India. Seven reactors were permanently shut down.

The pace has continued into 2026. Four Chinese reactors had been connected to the grid by August 1, including Taipingling 1, San'ao 1, Taipingling 2 and Changjiang-3, according to the WNA reactor database. Construction has also started on several additional Chinese units, including Xuwei 1, Jinqimen 2, Taipingling 4 and Zhaoyuan 2.

The Zhaoyuan development is part of a six-unit project in Shandong province. The first safety-related concrete for the second unit was poured on September 5, according to World Nuclear News.

China's position contrasts with many mature nuclear markets, where ageing fleets and plant closures have limited growth. WNA identifies China, Russia and South Korea as the world's nuclear "pacesetters", reflecting their continuing programmes of serial reactor construction.

South Korea remains another major Asian nuclear market. Its 26 operating reactors generated 175.5 TWh in 2025, supplying 31% of national electricity generation, according to WNA. Four reactors with a combined gross capacity of 5.7GW were under construction.

South Korea has also retained support for new nuclear construction. President Lee Jae-myung confirmed in January that the government would proceed with two new reactors under the country's 11th Basic Plan.

Japan is also rebuilding its nuclear generation after the post-Fukushima retreat. Its reactors generated 94.7 TWh in 2025, supplying 9.4% of electricity generation, according to WNA data. Japan had 33 operable reactors at the latest count, with two reactors classified as under construction.

India is another important source of growth. Its reactors generated 49.1 TWh in 2025, equivalent to 3.2% of electricity generation. The country has 24 operable reactors and eight under construction, with a further 14 classified as planned.

The Asian expansion extends beyond the region's largest economies. Pakistan generated 23.7 TWh from nuclear power in 2025, supplying 16.5% of electricity generation, according to WNA data. It had one reactor under construction and six operational. Bangladesh, meanwhile, had two reactors classified as under construction, although it did not yet have nuclear generation in 2025.

The broader regional pipeline is substantial. WNA says about three-quarters of reactors under construction worldwide are in Asia. It currently counts about 150 operable reactors in the region, around 55 under construction and firm plans for another 60-70, with many more projects proposed.

The expansion is increasingly concentrated in countries with established nuclear supply chains. China, South Korea and India are developing domestic engineering and manufacturing capabilities alongside their reactor fleets. WNA says this can help the region move from individual projects towards repeated construction programmes.

WNA says serial construction of standardised reactor designs can make project delivery more predictable and allow utilities, manufacturers and contractors to retain expertise between projects. China is cited as an example of this approach, with Zhangzhou 2 taking 62 months to build, compared with 163 months for India's Rajasthan 7.

The existing global fleet is also performing strongly. The average nuclear capacity factor rose to 83.7% in 2025, according to WNA. The association found no general deterioration in performance among reactors operating for more than 40 years.

That strengthens the case for extending the operating lives of existing plants while new reactors are built. WNA says maintaining and extending the existing fleet is among the fastest and most cost-effective ways to secure additional low-carbon generation.

For its forward-looking projection, the new report uses global operating nuclear capacity of 423GWe on a gross basis. It projects that capacity could reach 1,457GWe by 2050 if national targets are achieved, existing reactors continue operating within the assumptions of the report, and reactors currently under construction, planned or proposed are delivered.

That would exceed the tripling goal endorsed by 38 countries since the COP28 climate summit by more than 200GWe, according to WNA.

The project pipeline has strengthened since the previous outlook. Capacity under construction increased from 76GWe to 82GWe, while planned capacity rose from 107GWe to 114GWe. Proposed capacity declined from 294GWe to 289GWe and potential capacity from 24GWe to 13GWe.

The shift is significant because it suggests some nuclear ambitions are moving closer to identifiable projects. But the WNA warns that more than 550GWe of capacity needed to meet national targets has yet to be associated with projects classified as under construction, planned or proposed.

The challenge is therefore less about stated ambition than delivery. Financing, regulation, manufacturing capacity, skilled labour, fuel supplies and project management will determine how much of the proposed expansion actually reaches the grid.

Asia is likely to remain central to that process. China is already the world's largest nuclear construction market, while India, South Korea and Japan are maintaining or expanding their programmes. Pakistan and Bangladesh are adding further projects to a regional market that has become the principal centre of global nuclear construction.

For the industry, the 2025 generation record therefore represents more than a rebound in output. It reflects a structural shift towards Asia in both nuclear generation and new-build activity.

WNA's forecast remains conditional. Achieving 1,457GWe by 2050 would require governments and industry to turn national targets into sustained construction programmes. The report says construction start rates would ultimately need to rise to around six times current levels to deliver the tripling ambition.

For now, the evidence is clearest in Asia. The region is producing more nuclear electricity, commissioning more reactors and starting more construction than most other parts of the world. China remains the dominant market, but the expansion also encompasses South Korea, India, Japan and emerging programmes in countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The record set in 2025 is therefore closely linked to the region's longer-term build-out. The WNA's projections point to China and India among the major sources of future capacity growth, alongside France, Russia and the US.