Electricity production, consumption and market overview
Data extracted in August 2024.
Planned article update: 29 August 2025.
Highlights
Total net electricity generation in the EU was 2 701 TWh in 2022, 3.2% below the 2021 value.
Wind, hydro and solar were used to produce 34.3% of the net electricity generated in the EU in 2022.
Net electricity generation, EU, 1990-2022
This article describes the electricity market in the European Union (EU) with an analysis of electricity production/generation (the two terms are used synonymously) according to a range of different energy sources. It also provides information concerning electricity consumption by households and concludes with statistics on the level of market liberalisation (as measured by the share of the largest generator) within electricity markets.
Full article
Electricity generation
Total net electricity generation in the EU was 2 701 Terawatt hours (TWh) in 2022 — a reduction of 3.1% compared with the year before (see Figure 1). The level of net electricity generation in the EU in 2022 was 5.0% lower than its relative peak in 2008, when total output stood at 2 844 TWh.
Germany had the highest level of net electricity generation in 2022 among the EU Member States, accounting for 20.4% of the EU total, ahead of France (16.8%), Spain (10.5%) and Italy (10.2%) that were the only other EU countries with a double-digit share.
During the period covering 2012 to 2022, there was a decrease of 3.1% in the level of EU net electricity generation (see Figure 2). The largest overall increases were registered in Croatia (31.7%) and Ireland (24.7%). Among the EU Member States where there was a lower level of electricity generation in 2022 (compared with 2012), a reduction of more than 24.0% was recorded in Estonia (-28.5%) and Luxembourg (-41.4%).
It should be noted that changes in electricity generation do not directly reflect changes in electricity consumption as they are also affected by electricity imports and exports.
Between 2021 and 2022, the largest annual increases in electricity generation was recorded for Estonia (16.5%). At the other end of the scale, the largest reductions were observed in France (-14.6%), Slovenia (-14.5%), Latvia (-14.0%) and Slovakia (-11.5%).
![Vertical bar chart showing overall change in net electricity generation in percentages based on gigawatt hours for the EU, individual EU Member States, Albania, Türkiye, Montenegro, Moldova, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia from the year 2012 to 2022.](/eurostat/statistics-explained/images/thumb/a/ae/Figure_2_Overall_change_in_net_electricity_generation%2C_2012-2022_%28%25%2C_based_on_GWh%29.png/700px-Figure_2_Overall_change_in_net_electricity_generation%2C_2012-2022_%28%25%2C_based_on_GWh%29.png)
(%, based on GWh)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_peh)
More than half (56.1%) of the net electricity generated in the EU in 2022 came from non-combustible primary sources. Less than half (43.9%) came from combustible fuels (such as natural gas, coal and oil). Less than a quarter (21.4%) came from nuclear power stations. Among the renewable energy sources shown in Figure 3, the highest share of net electricity generation in 2022 was from wind turbines (15.4%), followed by hydropower plants (11.2%) and solar power (7.7%).
The relative significance of renewable energy sources in relation to EU net electricity generation increased between 2012 and 2022 from 22.0% to 34.5%, while there was a relatively large decrease in the significance of combustible fuels from 50.1% to 43.9% and also a reduction in the share of electricity generated from nuclear power plants from 27.7% to 21.4%. Among the renewable energy sources, the proportion of net electricity generated from solar and wind increased greatly: from 2.5% in 2012 to 7.7% in 2022 for solar power and from 6.6% in 2012 to 15.4% in 2022 for wind turbines.
Household electricity consumption
During the 10-year period from 2012 to 2022, the consumption of electricity by households decreased in the EU by 1.5% (see Figure 4). These figures on overall household electricity consumption are likely to be influenced, in part, by the average number of persons living in each household and by the total number of households, both of which are linked to demographic events. Other influences include the extent of ownership and use of electrical household appliances and consumer goods as well as the use of energy saving devices.
Electricity consumption by households rose at a much faster rate than the EU average between 2012 and 2022 in Malta (where the overall increase was 63.9%), while an increase of 24.5% was recorded in Lithuania and in Slovakia. At the other end of the scale, household electricity consumption fell in two of the EU Member States by a double digit percentage (Belgium -17.7% and Greece -13.0%).
One measure that is used to monitor the extent of electricity market liberalisation is the market share of the largest generator in each country (see Figure 5). Four EU Member States — Cyprus, Croatia, France and Slovakia — reported shares of at least 70%. The lowest shares were reported for Lithuania (12%) and Poland (14.9%).
![Vertical bar chart showing market share of the largest company electricity generation in percentages for individual EU Member States, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia. Each country has two columns comparing the year 2017 with 2022.](/eurostat/statistics-explained/images/thumb/d/d5/Figure_4_Electricity_consumption_by_households%2C_2022_%282012_%3D_100%29.png/700px-Figure_4_Electricity_consumption_by_households%2C_2022_%282012_%3D_100%29.png)
(%)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)
An analysis of developments between 2017 and 2022 reveals that among the 24 EU Member States for which data are available (no data for Austria, Malta and the Netherlands), 7 EU countries saw an increase in the market share of their leading electricity generator. The most rapid developments were in Portugal where the largest generator lost 40.0% of its own market share. The 2 Member States where the share of the largest generator within the electricity generation market increased the most were Hungary (23.0% after 19.1% in 2021) and Latvia (18.4%).
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
Electricity is produced as a primary or secondary product in power plants. The total amount of electricity produced is referred to as gross electricity production. However, power plants consume some electricity for their own use (in plant auxiliaries and in other transformers) and net electricity production is obtained by deducting this amount from gross production. Net production is distributed through national transmission and distribution grids to final consumers, transformed to heat in boilers or heat pumps, stored using pumped storage, or traded (exported or imported).
Final consumption of electricity covers the electricity delivered to the consumer's door (industry, transport, households and other sectors); it excludes deliveries for transformation and/or own use of energy producing activities, as well as network losses.
The market share of electricity generators is based on their net electricity production, and as such the electricity used by generators for their own consumption is not taken into account.
Context
In December 2019, the EU Green Deal The European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final) was adopted. Through the EU Green Deal, the European Commission provides an action plan to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy, restoring biodiversity and reducing pollution. The EU aims to be climate neutral in 2050. The framework for achieving climate neutrality is provided by the EU Green Deal European Climate Law (COM(2020) 80 final). Reaching this target will require action by all sectors of our economy, including investing in environmentally-friendly technologies, supporting industry to innovate, rolling out cleaner, cheaper and healthier forms of private and public transport, decarbonising the energy sector, ensuring buildings are more energy efficient and working with international partners to improve global environmental standards.
The Fit for 55 legislative proposals cover a wide range of policy areas including climate, energy, transport and taxation, setting out the ways in which the Commission will reach its updated 2030 target in real terms.
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 Europeans 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 Directive (EU) 2019/944, among others focuses on: "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." A key part of the Clean energy for all Europeans package is to make the EU electricity market fit for the clean energy transition based on Regulation (EU) 2019/942 of 5 June 2019 establishing a European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.
Direct access to
- Energy statistics - main indicators (t_nrg_indic)
- Energy statistics - quantities (t_nrg_quant)
- Energy statistics - prices (t_nrg_price)
- Energy statistics - quantities, annual data (nrg_quanta)
- Energy statistics - market structure indicators - natural gas and electricity (nrg_market)
- Shedding light on energy in the EU — A guided tour of energy statistics (digital publication) — 2016 edition
- Energy balance sheets — 2017 data — 2019 edition
- Energy, transport and environment statistics — 2019 edition
- Supply, transformation and consumption — commodity balances (ESMS metadata file — nrg_cb_esms)
- Energy Statistics Manual
- Directive 2019/944 of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity
- Summaries of EU legislation: Internal market in electricity
- Regulation (EC) 2019/942 of 5 June 2019 establishing a European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators
- Summaries of EU legislation: Agency for the cooperation of national energy regulators
- Regulation (EC) No 2019/943 of 5 June 2019 on the internal market for electricity
- Summaries of EU legislation: Cross-border exchanges in electricity