Global number of nuclear power reactors permanent shutdowns 2005-2023

The annual number of permanent nuclear reactor shutdowns fluctuated between 2005 and 2023. In the latter year, there were 5 shutdowns worldwide, of which three were in Germany, one in Taiwan, and one in Belgium.

Nuclear reactor retirement

In general, nuclear power plants have an operating lifetime spanning between 20 and 40 years. In fact, more than 70 percent of nuclear reactors shutdown worldwide had an age of at least 20 years at the time of closure. Overall, more than half of cumulative nuclear reactor shutdowns as of June 2023 were concentrated in only three countries, namely the U.S., the UK, and Germany.

Nuclear energy policy

The nuclear disaster of the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan in March 2011 led many countries worldwide to accelerate plans for nuclear power plant shutdowns. However, while Germany exited nuclear energy in April 2023, other countries turned back to nuclear energy during the energy crisis of 2022. The global number of nuclear reactors under construction as of June 2023 was 57.