Solar payback ranked: the best and worst countries to go solar in 2026
Dataset · Updated 21 June 2026 · 24 countries
Hold the hardware constant and solar's payback swings from about 2 years in Mexico to never in France. The same 5 kWp system earns roughly 50.1% a year in Mexico and -2.7% in France. Where you live, not the panels, decides whether solar pays.
Return on a 5 kWp system, ranked
| # | Country | IRR | Payback | Yield | Net cost | Year-1 saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 50.1% | 2.0 yrs | 1781 kWh/kWp | MX$112,500 | MX$57,290 |
| 2 | South Korea | 20.7% | 4.7 yrs | 1353 kWh/kWp | ₩4,100,000 | ₩915,592 |
| 3 | Italy | 19.7% | 5.0 yrs | 1422 kWh/kWp | €4,756 | €1,006 |
| 4 | Greece | 19.5% | 5.1 yrs | 1367 kWh/kWp | €4,063 | €853 |
| 5 | Spain | 13.9% | 7.0 yrs | 1569 kWh/kWp | €5,400 | €815 |
| 6 | Ireland | 11.6% | 7.9 yrs | 883 kWh/kWp | €8,075 | €1,102 |
| 7 | Germany | 11.3% | 8.3 yrs | 998 kWh/kWp | €6,500 | €817 |
| 8 | Australia | 10.6% | 8.7 yrs | 1005 kWh/kWp | A$5,435 | A$666 |
| 9 | South Africa | 10.3% | 8.8 yrs | 927 kWh/kWp | ZAR 80,000 | ZAR 9,612 |
| 10 | Portugal | 10.1% | 9.0 yrs | 1485 kWh/kWp | €6,750 | €786 |
| 11 | Japan | 7.9% | 10.5 yrs | 1324 kWh/kWp | ¥1,250,000 | ¥127,850 |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates | 7.8% | 10.4 yrs | 1670 kWh/kWp | AED 25,000 | AED 2,620 |
| 13 | Netherlands | 7.1% | 12.7 yrs | 981 kWh/kWp | €6,750 | €631 |
| 14 | United Kingdom | 6.8% | 12.9 yrs | 880 kWh/kWp | £8,750 | £823 |
| 15 | Austria | 6.3% | 13.6 yrs | 786 kWh/kWp | €6,000 | €535 |
| 16 | Switzerland | 5.4% | 14.9 yrs | 928 kWh/kWp | CHF 7,200 | CHF 607 |
| 17 | Czechia | 4.9% | 15.4 yrs | 1019 kWh/kWp | CZK 210,000 | CZK 16,079 |
| 18 | Taiwan | 4.9% | 15.0 yrs | 1012 kWh/kWp | NT$275,000 | NT$23,630 |
| 19 | Poland | 4.4% | 16.1 yrs | 1040 kWh/kWp | PLN 35,000 | PLN 2,624 |
| 20 | United States | 3.1% | 18.0 yrs | 1566 kWh/kWp | $13,750 | $953 |
| 21 | Denmark | 1.8% | 20.8 yrs | 984 kWh/kWp | DKK 70,000 | DKK 4,114 |
| 22 | Sweden | 1.6% | 21.3 yrs | 829 kWh/kWp | SEK 78,625 | SEK 4,680 |
| 23 | Canada | 1.1% | 22.1 yrs | 1190 kWh/kWp | CA$15,000 | CA$878 |
| 24 | France | -2.7% | No payback | 1171 kWh/kWp | €11,000 | €382 |
Annual return (IRR) by country
How we worked this out (methodology)
For each country we run the same 5 kWp, due-south, 35°-tilt system through our public engine: PVGIS climate data for the country's geographic centroid gives the yield, and the country's verified retail tariff, export rate, install cost and incentive (see DATA_SOURCES.md) give the economics. Only the country changes. Ranked by year-25 internal rate of return (IRR); payback and NPV are shown in each country's local currency. An estimate, not a quote.
Payback and net cost are shown in each country's local currency, so compare countries on IRR and payback (both currency-independent) rather than on the cash figures. Every input — tariffs, export rates, install costs and incentives — is the verified figure behind our calculator; see the per-country sources in our data notes. Figures are estimates, not quotes.
One caveat on the top result: Mexico's standout return assumes the household is on the high-consumption "DAC" tariff (~6.5 MXN/kWh) with 1:1 net metering — the rate solar adopters there actually face, not the subsidised basic tariff most homes pay. It is the right number for a typical solar buyer in Mexico, but not a universal one.
See the payback for your own roof
Free, no sign-up. Your address → payback, NPV, incentives and a 25-year cashflow on real climate data. An estimate, not a sales quote.
Calculate my solar savings →