This Map Shows Which Countries Rely Most Heavily On Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is a contested topic. Nuclear plants are expensive, and while there are clear risks to the technology, they may help alleviate carbon emissions, at least until renewables are more cost-effective.

Countries rely on nuclear power for their electricity needs to different degrees. The International Atomic Energy Agency monitors the share of total electricity generated in a country coming from nuclear power.

France is at the very top of the list, generating 74.8% of their electricity from nuclear.

The U.S. is by far the top producer of nuclear power with 770,718 GW.h of electricity supplied this way. However, that accounts for just 19.0% of the electricity generated.

Here is a map showing the nuclear power share for those countries that use nuclear power, from 2012 IAEA data:

Most of the nuclear power action is happening in Europe, so here is a closer look of that continent:

Here is a summary of the IAEA data: