Statistics Explained

Electricity market indicators


Data extracted in March 2023.

Planned article update: June 2024.

Highlights


The market share of the largest generator in the electricity market in 2021 was 88% in Cyprus, 79% in France and 76% in Croatia.

Vertical bar chart showing market share of the largest electricity production companies in the EU as percentage of national production in individual EU Member States for the year 2021.

This article takes a look at electricity markets in the European Union (EU), presenting recent statistical data on the number of electricity generating and retailing companies across EU Member States, as well as Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Moldova and Georgia.

From 2013-2021, the number of main electricity generating companies (main = market coverage above 5 % of national electricity generation) in the European Union fluctuated between 81 and 87 companies, without a clear trend.


(*)This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.


Full article


Electricity markets - generation and installed capacity

Table 1 refers to the number of companies cumulatively generating at least 95 % of net electricity generation at national level.

In 2021, it remained limited to five companies or less in four EU Member States.

Between 2020 and 2021, it was stable in five EU Member States. Increases were observed in seven Member States (Table 1).

Table showing number of generating companies representing at least 95 percent of the national net electricity generation in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 1: Number of generating companies representing at least 95% of national generation 2013-2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Table 2 displays the number of main companies that have a market coverage for at least 5 % of the total national net electricity generation.

Table showing number of main electricity generating companies in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 2: Number of main electricity generating companies, 2013-2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Three EU Member States declared only one single enterprise had a significant share of electricity generation at national level in 2021. This is the same number of countries when compared with 2020. In Bulgaria, Portugal and Sweden there were five electricity generating companies of considerable significance.

The number of main enterprises in the EU fluctuated between 81 and 87 companies between 2013 and 2021.

As depicted in Figure 1, the lowest market coverage of main production companies was reported by Italy (32 %), which means that relatively small companies cover 68 % of Italy's total electricity market.

Vertical bar chart showing percentage cumulative market share of the main electricity generating companies and their respective installed capacity share in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia. Each country has two columns representing share in generation and share in installed capacity for the year 2021.
Figure 1: Cumulative market share of the main electricity generating companies and their respective installed capacity share, 2021 (in %)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Table 3 displays the percentage market share of the single largest national electricity generator's production in 2021. Cyprus and France report the highest percentage shares of 88 % and 79 %, respectively. Significant market dominance with figures above 70 % for the largest electricity generators were observed in Croatia (76 %). By contrast, market shares of the largest electricity generation company below 20 % were observed in Sweden (19 %), Italy (17 %), Lithuania (17 %) and Poland (17 %).

Table showing percentage market share of the largest generator in the electricity market in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 3: Market share of the largest generator in the electricity market, 2013-2021 (%)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

EU Member States also provided information on newly installed electricity generation capacity in 2021. Table 4 shows that the newly installed capacity increased from 34.7 Gigawatts (GW) to 40.9 GW compared with 2020. This increase is mainly due to significant changes (in absolute terms) in Germany (+2.7 GW), then France (+1.5 GW), and Poland (+1.2 GW).

Table showing new capacity connected during the year in megawatts in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 4: New capacity connected during the year, 2013-2021 (in Megawatts)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Electricity markets - retail

All EU Member States with the exception of Ireland, as well as Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova and Georgia reported information concerning the retailing (sales) sector.

Table 5 presents information on the total number of retailers that sell electricity to final customers. When looking at the estimated number of retailers, it increased in the EU from 3437 in 2013 to 4378 in 2021.

Table showing total number of electricity retailers to final consumers in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 5: Total number of electricity retailers to final consumers, 2013-2021. Estimated, as some of the retailers operate in several national markets.
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)


Table showing number of main electricity retailers in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 6: Number of main electricity retailers, 2013-2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Austria had seven electricity retailers with more than 5 % market share each in 2021. This was the largest number in the EU. Cyprus and Malta, had one main retailer each (see Table 6). Germany did not report the number of main retailers.

Figure 2 illustrates the number of main electricity retailers to final consumers and their cumulative market shares for all EU Member States that reported the data, as well as for Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova and Georgia.

Looking at the remaining market, which is the market covered by non-main retail companies, their market share is largest in Italy and Sweden (49 % and 44.7 %, respectively). It is below 20 % in nine out of the 25 EU Member States that reported this indicator.

Vertical bar chart showing percentage cumulative market share with scatter plot representing number of main electricity retailers in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia for the year 2021.
Figure 2: Number of main electricity retailers and their cumulative market share, 2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Source data for tables and graphs

Data sources

The information on electricity market indicators is collected via a voluntary data collection. Although the participation of countries in this voluntary data collection is very high, sometimes the information on individual indicators is not available or is confidential.

The full dataset is available at


Context

The electricity market was liberalised for small business consumers in July 2004 and for all consumers in July 2007. However, initially the opening-up of markets faced a number of shortcomings and several legal packages followed. The most relevant recent ones are:

  • On 1 January 2020, the Regulation (EU) No 2019/943 of 5 June 2019 on the internal market for electricity entered into force. An important part of the new electricity market design, agreed under the Clean energy for all European's package, the regulation establishes the fundamental principles for an efficient electricity market.
  • In the framework of Clean energy for all Europeans package, the Directive (EU) 2019/944 of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU, was adopted. The focus of Directive (EU) 2019/944, among others, is: "The internal market for electricity, which has been progressively implemented throughout the Union since 1999, aims, by organising competitive electricity markets across country borders, to deliver real choice for all Union final customers, be they citizens or businesses, new business opportunities, competitive prices, efficient investment signals and higher standards of service, and to contribute to security of supply and sustainability."
  • The Clean energy for all Europeans package key part is to make the EU electricity market fit for the clean energy transition.
  • Regulation (EU) 2019/942 of 5 June 2019 establishing a European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.

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Database

Energy statistics - market structure indicators - natural gas and electricity (nrg_market)
Energy market indicator (nrg_ind_market)
Energy Statistics - quantities (nrg_quant)
Energy Statistics - quantities, annual data (nrg_quanta)
Supply, transformation and consumption - commodity balances (nrg_cb)
Supply, transformation and consumption of electricity (nrg_cb_e)
Energy Statistics - quantities, monthly data (nrg_quantm)
Energy statistics - supply, transformation, consumption (nrg_10m)
Supply of electricity - monthly data (nrg_105m)
Energy statistics - prices of natural gas and electricity (nrg_price)
Energy statistics - natural gas and electricity prices (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc)
Electricity prices for household consumers - bi-annual data (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc_204)
Electricity prices for non-household consumers - bi-annual data (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc_205)
Household consumption volumes of electricity by consumption bands (nrg_pc_204_v)
Non-household consumption volumes of electricity by consumption bands (nrg_pc_205_v)
Electricity prices components for household consumers - annual data (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc_204_c)
Electricity prices components for non-household consumers - annual data (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc_205_c)

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Methodology

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