Nuclear power to climb 44% worldwide as China tops US: report

[NEW YORK] Global nuclear capacity is set to climb 44 per cent over the next decade after years of tepid growth, spurred by growing demand for electricity and aggressive efforts to build reactors in China and India. 

The world may have as much as 535 gigawatts (GW) of installed nuclear power by 2036, up from 372 GW in 2025, according to a report on Wednesday (Jul 8) from research provider BloombergNEF (BNEF).

China had 59 GW of reactors under construction at the end of 2025 and is on track to reach a total of 102 by the end of the decade, a figure that would propel it past the US to become the world’s biggest nuclear nation.

The industry is benefiting from several key trends. The international effort to rein in climate change is boosting demand for carbon-free power from reactors.

At the same time, electricity demand is surging, driven by industrial users, increasingly electrified homes, and power-hungry data centres.

Meanwhile, rising social acceptance of nuclear power is pushing utilities and governments around the world to reconsider policies that have hindered development. 

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Capacity growth will likely be tempered by slow regulatory processes that have historically dragged on new nuclear projects.

In the US, where the technology is getting strong support from the Trump administration, there is only one commercial plant under construction, though BNEF expects the pace to accelerate in the coming decade.

“Nuclear power has essentially been ‘running in place’ since the Fukushima disaster in 2011,” according to the report. “This status quo is set to change.” BLOOMBERG