A new report from the energy think tank Ember on global electricity trends in 2024 highlights Hungary as the leading country in terms of solar energy share, with solar accounting for 25 percent of its total electricity production. This pushed Hungary ahead of both Chile and Greece, which each had a 22 percent share. In the previous year, Hungary ranked behind both countries.
According to data summarized by Hungary’s Ministry of Energy, among countries generating more than 5 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, only Spain joined the top group with a solar share above 20 percent, recording a 21 percent share. Remarkably, a decade ago, these top-performing countries had solar shares of less than 2 percent, demonstrating the rapid growth of the sector.
Hungary also stood out for having the fastest increase in solar energy share in Europe over the past five years, as shown in Ember’s earlier regional analysis. Since 2019, when solar accounted for just 4 percent of Hungary’s electricity, the country has seen a significant surge in solar contribution.
In 2024, solar installations performed so well that for more than 70 days, solar power met over 80 percent of Hungary’s electricity demand during peak production periods. By comparison, this occurred on only about 10 days in the previous year.
By spring 2025, Hungary had installed approximately 7,800 megawatts of solar capacity, with about 80 percent of that capacity added since 2020. Since 2022, the country has been installing at least 1,200 megawatts of new solar capacity each year. The Ministry of Energy emphasized that while clean energy offers major advantages, its full potential can only be realized with adequate energy storage infrastructure, which is eligible for funding under the Jedlik Anyos Program.
On a global scale, Ember reported that green energy sources contributed over 40 percent of total electricity generation in 2024. This growth was mainly driven by the rapid expansion of renewables, especially solar power, which has become a key force in the global energy transition. Solar output has doubled over the past three years, with 2024 setting new records in both electricity generation and installed capacity. During this period, solar added more electricity to the global grid than any other source.
