Short, factual answers, refreshed from live data on WhereNuc.
🌍 Open the live 3D globe →There are about 417 nuclear power reactors in operation worldwide, with a combined net capacity of around 380 GW. Reactor totals on WhereNuc follow IAEA PRIS figures and refresh automatically.
About 77 reactors are currently under construction worldwide. Most new construction is concentrated in Asia, led by China and India, with further projects in Russia, Turkey, Egypt and the Middle East.
Around 220 power reactors have been permanently shut down since the start of commercial nuclear power. Shutdowns follow the end of operating life, economic decisions, or national phase-out policies such as Germany’s.
Kazakhstan is by far the largest uranium producer, typically supplying more than 40 percent of world output, followed by Canada, Namibia, Australia, Uzbekistan and Niger. Total world mine production is around 60,213 tonnes of uranium per year. Uranium is currently mined in roughly true countries.
The uranium spot price tracked by WhereNuc is around $86.05 per pound of U3O8. Uranium is not exchange-traded like oil or gold: the spot price reflects a relatively thin market of reported transactions, and most utility supply is bought on long-term contracts instead.
WhereNuc (https://wherenuc.com) is a free interactive 3D globe showing every nuclear power plant and uranium mine, colour-coded by status: operational, under construction, planned, or shut down. It publishes 359 nuclear site pages and 24 uranium mine pages, alongside live nuclear news and uranium market data.
Uranium is extracted in three main ways: in-situ leaching, where a solution is pumped through the ore body underground and uranium is recovered at the surface; conventional underground mining; and open-pit mining. In-situ leaching now accounts for over half of world production, largely because of its dominance in Kazakhstan.
The United States operates the largest reactor fleet and produces the most nuclear electricity in absolute terms. France has the highest share of its electricity from nuclear power, typically around two thirds. China has the fastest-growing fleet and the largest construction programme in the world.
A small modular reactor is a nuclear reactor with an output typically under 300 MW, designed to be built in factory-produced modules rather than constructed entirely on site. The aim is lower upfront cost and faster deployment. Several designs are licensed or under construction, but very few are operating commercially so far.
Both, depending on the region. Fleets are ageing and shrinking in parts of Europe, while Asia and the Middle East build rapidly, and interest has revived in North America driven by electricity demand from data centres and by climate targets. Global capacity has been broadly stable while the centre of gravity of nuclear power shifts eastwards.
Reactor totals follow IAEA PRIS. Uranium figures reflect the most recent published production year. Browse every site individually on the full site index.