1.1. Contact organisation
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
E2: Environmental statistics and accounts; sustainable development
1.3. Contact name
1.4. Contact person function
1.5. Contact mail address
e-mail contact: ESTAT-SDG-MONITORING@ec.europa.eu
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
1.8. Contact fax number
2.1. Metadata last certified
4 April 2023
2.2. Metadata last posted
10 February 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
10 February 2025
The indicator is part of the EU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator set. It is used to monitor progress towards SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy; which is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under 'Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model'.
SDG 7 calls for ensuring universal access to modern energy services, improving energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable energy. To accelerate the transition to an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy system, countries need to facilitate access to clean energy research, promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.
The European Pillar of Social Rights lists energy among the essential services that everyone should have access to. With its EU Energy Poverty Observatory, the EU seeks to help Member States in their efforts to decrease energy poverty and ensure access to affordable energy.
The European Commission issued recommendations on energy poverty as part of the renovation wave, proposing actions for Member States to alleviate energy poverty as well as the proposal for a Council Recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality to complement the package on delivering the Green Deal presented in July 2021. The Energy Poverty and Vulnerable Consumers Coordination Group helps Member States to tackle energy poverty. The SAFE (Supporting Affordable Energy) measures enable Member States to use unspent Cohesion funds under their 2014–2020 allocation to provide direct support to vulnerable families and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to help them face increased energy costs.
4.1. Data description
The indicator measures the share of population who are unable to afford to keep home adequately warm. Data for this indicator are being collected as part of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) to monitor the development of poverty and social inclusion in the EU. The data collection is based on a survey, which means that indicator values are self-reported.
4.2. Unit of measure
Percentage
4.3. Reference Period
Calendar year.
4.4. Accuracy - overall
From 2021 onwards EU-SILC Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 foresees the requirements relating to geographical coverage, detailed sample characteristics, including subsampling, common data gathering periods, common standards for editing and imputation, weighting, estimation and variance estimation. Details can be found in the metadata of the source datasets (see link to related metadata).
4.5. Source data
4.5.1. Source data - Organisation
ESS (SILC)
4.5.2. Source data - Comment
Data source: Statistics of Income and Living Conditions (SILC).
Data set provider: Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, based on data reported by the countries.
5.1. Frequency of dissemination
5.1.1. Frequency of dissemination - Grade
Every year5.1.2. Frequency of dissemination - Comment
Indicator is updated annually. Complete and updated ESS data release information can be accessed via Eurostat release calendar.
5.2. Timeliness
5.2.1. Timeliness - Grade
T+1 year5.2.2. Timeliness - Comment
“Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 establishes the timeliness of data transmissions from the national statistical institutes. Derogations are granted for number of counties for the timeliness deadlines according to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/2050:
- variables for the data collection of year N should be transmitted by the end of the year N, but in exceptional cases, provisional microdata concerning income may be transmitted by the end of year N and revised data by 28 February of the year N+1;
- variables related to the observation covering the years of the rotation scheme ending in year N, should be transmitted by 31 October of the year N+1.
According to the regulation, the aggregated data will be published on Eurostat website, as soon as possible and within six months of the transmission deadline for annual and infra‐annual data collection, and within 12 months of the transmission deadline for other data collection, save in duly justified cases.”
6.1. Reference area
6.1.1. Reference Area - Grade
All EU MS6.1.2. Reference Area - Comment
Data are presented for all EU Member States plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Türkiye and Kosovo(*).
(*) 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.
6.2. Comparability - geographical
6.2.1. Comparability - geographical - Grade
All EU MS6.2.2. Comparability - geographical - Comment
Data are comparable between all EU Member States respectively other presented countries.
6.3. Coverage - Time
6.3.1. Time Coverage - Grade
> 10 years6.3.2. Time Coverage - Comment
Presented time series (including EU aggregates) starts in year 2010.
6.4. Comparability - over time
6.4.1. Comparability - over time - Grade
> 4 data points6.4.2. Comparability - over time - Comment
Length of comparable time series without methodological break is longer than 4 data points.
7.1. Dissemination format - Publications
Analysis of indicator is presented in Eurostat's annual monitoring report on Sustainable development in the EU (progress towards SDGs in the EU context).
7.2. Dissemination format - online database
See table sdg_07_60
7.3. Dissemination format - other
Eurostat dedicated section on SDGs: Eurostat overview.
Copyrights: Eurostat Copyright - Licence Policy is applicable.
