You've probably heard the headlines lately. Big Tech is buying up nuclear power like it’s going out of style, and suddenly, everyone's an armchair physicist. But when you actually try to nail down how many nuclear power stations in the world are humming away right now, the answer is kind of a moving target.
It’s not just a single number you can find on a dusty Wikipedia page. It’s a shifting landscape of old giants being retired and a massive new wave of construction, mostly in Asia, that’s about to change the map entirely.
As of early 2026, the global fleet sits at roughly 417 operational reactors. That’s the count for individual reactors, mind you. If you’re looking for "stations" or "plants," the number is smaller because many sites—like the massive Bruce Power in Canada or Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Japan—host multiple reactors on a single piece of land.
The Real Numbers Right Now
Honestly, it’s a weird time for the industry. Last year was actually a bit of a slump. We saw a net loss in capacity because only a couple of new units came online while seven were permanently switched off. But don't let that fool you into thinking nuclear is dying.
According to the latest data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and recent BloombergNEF reports, 2026 is expected to be a breakout year. We are looking at about 15 reactors scheduled to start commercial operations this year. That’s nearly 12 gigawatts of new power hitting the grid.
To put that in perspective, one gigawatt is enough to power about 750,000 homes.
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Where Are These Plants, Anyway?
The "Big Five" still dominate the scene, accounting for over 70% of the world's nuclear capacity. If you want to know who’s leading, it’s still the United States. With 94 reactors (some counts say 96 depending on the exact status of restarts like Palisades), the U.S. produces more nuclear electricity than anyone else.
Then you have France. It’s the poster child for nuclear energy, getting about 65-70% of its total electricity from its 57 reactors.
But here is where it gets interesting: China is catching up at a terrifying speed. They also have 57-59 operational reactors, but they have another 30+ currently under construction. While the West is mostly trying to keep its old plants running, China is building them like Legos.
Russia and South Korea round out that top group, with Russia operating 36 reactors and South Korea sitting at 26.
The 2026 Resurgence: What’s Changing?
Why the sudden jump in numbers? It’s basically two things: AI and energy security.
Data centers are energy vampires. Companies like Microsoft and Google are realizing that wind and solar—while great—can't provide the 24/7 "baseload" power a massive AI cluster needs. This has led to the "restart" phenomenon.
One of the biggest stories of 2026 is the planned restart of units at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Japan. This is the largest nuclear station in the world, and it's been mostly silent since the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Bringing it back online is a massive shift in Japanese policy.
In the U.S., the Palisades plant in Michigan is another prime example. It was shut down in 2022, but thanks to billion-dollar loans and a desperate need for carbon-free power, it’s being resurrected. You don't usually see "zombie" nuclear plants coming back to life, yet here we are.
The Construction Boom Nobody Talks About
While we focus on what’s already running, the real story is the 60+ reactors currently under construction worldwide.
- China is the undisputed heavyweight here. They are building Hualong One reactors at a record pace.
- India is slowly but surely expanding, with about 7 reactors in the works, including the long-awaited fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam.
- Turkey and Bangladesh are about to join the nuclear club. The Akkuyu plant in Turkey and Rooppur in Bangladesh are massive projects that will bring nuclear power to those countries for the first time.
- Egypt is also in the game, with four Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors being built at El Dabaa.
It’s sort of a tale of two worlds. In Europe and North America, the focus is on Life Extension. Engineers are working to keep 40-year-old plants running for 60 or even 80 years. In Asia and the Middle East, the focus is on New Build.
Is Smaller Better? The SMR Factor
You can’t talk about the number of stations without mentioning Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
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Up until now, nuclear plants have been these multi-billion-dollar behemoths. SMRs are supposed to be smaller, cheaper, and easier to build in a factory. China is expected to launch the ACP100 (Linglong One) in the first half of 2026, which would be the first land-based commercial SMR to operate globally.
If SMRs take off, the answer to "how many nuclear power stations in the world" could balloon from 400 to 4,000 in a few decades. But that's a big "if." We’ve seen plenty of SMR companies struggle with costs lately.
The Elephant in the Room: Safety and Waste
Look, I get it. People hear "nuclear" and they think of Chernobyl or Fukushima.
The reality of the current global fleet is that it’s incredibly safe compared to almost any other form of energy generation, including some renewables when you factor in industrial accidents. The new "Generation III+" reactors being built in China and Europe have passive safety systems—basically, they can cool themselves down even if all the power goes out.
The waste issue is still the stickiest point. Most of the world's spent fuel is just sitting in concrete casks on-site at these power stations. Finland is the only country that’s really "solved" it by building Onkalo, a deep geological repository designed to keep waste safe for 100,000 years.
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What You Should Actually Watch For
If you’re tracking this for investment or just out of curiosity, don't just look at the raw number of reactors. Look at the capacity factor.
U.S. plants are legendary for this—they run at over 90% power nearly all year round. A single reactor in the U.S. often produces way more actual electricity than a similar-sized one elsewhere because of how well they’re managed.
Also, keep an eye on retirements. Germany famously shut down its last three plants in 2023, and Spain is planning to start phasing theirs out soon. The "global count" is a tug-of-war between the rapid growth in the East and the political hesitation in the West.
Actionable Insights for the Nuclear-Curious
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on this, here is what you actually need to do:
- Follow the IAEA PRIS Database: This is the gold standard. It’s the "Power Reactor Information System," and it’s where every country reports its official stats. If it’s not in PRIS, it’s just a rumor.
- Watch the Grid Connections: A reactor is "under construction" for years, but the moment it makes a "grid connection," it starts actually affecting the world. There are about 15 of these milestones to watch for in 2026.
- Don't Ignore the Restarts: The most cost-effective way to add nuclear power right now isn't building new ones; it's fixing the ones we prematurely closed. Watch for news on the Three Mile Island Unit 1 (now called Crane Clean Energy Center) or other U.S. plants.
- Look at Uranium Prices: More reactors mean more fuel demand. The supply chain for uranium is tighter than it’s been in decades, and that’s going to be a major bottleneck for all these new stations.
The world currently has roughly 417 reactors across some 30 countries, but with the massive construction surge in China and the urgent need for AI-ready power, that number is finally starting to climb again after years of stagnation.
Next Steps for Research
Check the status of the Rooppur 1 in Bangladesh and Akkuyu 1 in Turkey. These are the two biggest "newcomer" projects scheduled for 2026. Their success or failure will tell you a lot about whether the global nuclear expansion is actually sustainable or just a series of expensive delays.