The global nuclear energy and Small Modular Reactor market is valued at $120.0 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $206.9 billion by 2031, representing a 9.5% compound annual growth rate.
This growth rate is described as the fastest sustained expansion among major energy infrastructure verticals during the forecast period, according to a new strategic report from ResearchAndMarkets.com.
Rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure is emerging as one of the most significant catalysts reshaping nuclear energy procurement across the globe.
Hyperscale technology companies including Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Meta (NASDAQ: META) have collectively committed to securing more than 10 gigawatts of nuclear capacity through 2031.
Nuclear power is increasingly being prioritized as a dispatchable, zero-carbon energy source capable of meeting the continuous, gigawatt-scale electricity requirements of AI data centers.
This wave of corporate procurement represents one of the most consequential sources of new U.S. nuclear demand since the 1979 Three Mile Island accident constrained domestic nuclear development for decades.
The AI Data Centre and Commercial and Industrial Power segment is forecast to grow from $9.6 billion in 2025 to $31.0 billion by 2031, representing a 21.6% CAGR and the strongest application-level growth in the entire market.
That segment’s share of the overall market is expected to rise from 8% to 15% over the same six-year period, reflecting a structural shift in how nuclear power is being contracted and financed.
Asia-Pacific is positioned as both the largest and fastest-growing regional nuclear energy market, forecast to expand from $50.4 billion in 2025 to $95.2 billion by 2031 at an 11.2% CAGR.
China’s accelerated domestic reactor buildout and India’s progress toward its 100 gigawatt nuclear capacity target for 2047 are the primary engines behind the region’s projected 46% share of the global market by 2031.
Competition for sovereign nuclear technology exports is intensifying, with Rosatom, Westinghouse, and CGN/CNNC among the leading participants pursuing international reactor construction and long-term service opportunities.
The report profiles seven key companies across the nuclear value chain, including Constellation Energy (NASDAQ: CEG), EDF, GE Vernova, Rolls-Royce, Cameco, BWX Technologies, and NuScale Power.
Market segmentation covers NPP Construction and Engineering, SMR Development and Deployment, Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Operations and Maintenance, Decommissioning and Waste Management, and Nuclear Safety Components.
The report also includes Porter’s Five Forces, PESTLE, and SWOT analysis of the global competitive and policy environment, alongside an evaluation of AI data center nuclear power purchase agreements through 2031.
With governments prioritizing energy security and AI infrastructure accelerating electricity consumption, nuclear power and SMR technologies are positioned for sustained and significant capital investment through the end of the decade.
