Data extracted in September 2025
Planned article update: October 2026
Highlights
In 2023, the gross electricity production in the EU dropped by 2.6% compared with 2022, at 2 749 TWh.
Gross electricity production by fuel, EU, 2000-2024
This article provides an overview of the production and consumption of electricity and derived heat in the European Union (EU). The figures are based on the annual data provided by the EU countries. When available, preliminary 2024 annual data are used to show the most recent trends. Eurostat's energy statistics contain data as of 1990 for all EU countries and 13 non-EU countries. This article focuses primarily on data for the EU and the comparison between 2022 and 2023, including 2024 if available. The article also presents a simplified electricity and derived heat balance, as well as trade data and a derived indicator of consumption linking to population.
General overview
Gross electricity production in the EU decreased by 7.9 % from 2 984 TWh in 2010 to 2 749 TWh in 2023. In 2023, the gross electricity production was even 1.5% lower than in 2020 (2 790 TWh), the first year of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
In 2023, renewable energy sources were the largest contributors to electricity production, surpassing nuclear energy, natural gas and manufactured gases and solid fossil fuels (coal). This was the fourth time that more electricity was generated from renewables (1 218 TWh) than from all fossil fuels together (853 TWh). For example, in 2023 electricity generated from solar photovoltaic surpassed electricity generated from brown coal/lignite. In the period from 2010 until 2023, electricity generation from renewable energy sources almost doubled (from 653 TWh to 1 218 TWh). Compared with 2018, electricity production from renewable sources increased by 29.6%.
Production of electricity
The total gross electricity production in 2023 in the EU registered a 2.6% decrease compared with 2022, amounting to 2 749 TWh (see Table 1, Figure 1).
_V1.png)
(GWh)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_pehcf), (nrg_ind_pehnf)
The highest share of electricity in 2023 was produced in power plants using renewable energy sources (44.3%), followed by nuclear power plants (22.5%), gas fired plants[1] (17.5%) and coal fired power plants (11.6%). Lower shares were noticed for oil[2] (2.0%) and non-renewable wastes (0.7%). The detailed data on gross electricity production by fuel are shown in Table 1.
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(GWh)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_bal_peh), (nrg_ind_pehnf)
There have been significant changes in the contribution of the different renewable energy sources to electricity production since 2010. In 2010, 57.0% of renewable electricity was produced from hydro energy, a share which dropped to 27.1% in 2023. Electricity from wind, on the other hand, increased significantly in the same period, from 21.4% of all renewables in 2010, to 39.2% in 2023. Electricity from solar photovoltaic increased from 3.4% of all renewables in 2010 to 20.3% in 2023. Other renewable energy sources with relatively big shares in electricity production in 2023 were primary solid biofuels (6.4%) and biogases (4.2%).
The time series for gross electricity production by fuel is presented in Figure 1[3]. Since 2010 electricity generation from renewable energy sources has more than doubled until 2024 (preliminary data). The electricity production of coal fired power plants has more than halved since 2010 with a temporary increase for the years 2021 and 2022. Preliminary data for 2024, however, show that the long-term downwar trend is continuing. In 2024 only 85.5% (273 TWh) of 2023's quantity (319 TWh) was burnt to generate electricity. Electricity generated from natural gas decreased from 622 TWh in 2010 to 482 TWh in 2023 fluctuating over the years. Electricity generated from nuclear power plants shows a similar development: From 854 TWh in 2010 it decreased to 620 TWh in 2023 with some ups and downs. Preliminary data for 2024 show a slight increase to 649 TWh.
Installed electrical capacity
The installed electrical capacity in the EU is presented in Table 2. It increased by 40.5% in the period from 2010 to 2023. Its structure changed significantly over this period. In 2010, the highest share of installed capacity was accounted for combustible fuels (52.5%), followed by hydro (18.1%), nuclear (15.3%), wind (10.0%) and solar photovoltaic (3.9%). In 2023, the share of installed capacity of combustible fuels decreased to 34.3%, the share of hydro to 13.8% and the share of nuclear to 9.1%. On the other hand, the share of solar photovoltaic increased to 22.3% and the share of wind increased to 19.7%, while geothermal and tide, wave and ocean remained negligible.
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Import and export of electricity
In the electricity available for final consumption in 2023 at the level of EU, there were no net imports - in fact, the EU was a net exporter of a small amount of 445 GWh. According to preliminary data, these net exports increased to 12 200 GWh in 2024 (0.5%). However, there were significant differences among EU countries.
In 2024, according to preliminary data, the biggest net importers of electricity in absolute values were Italy, Germany, Hungary, Portugal and Belgium, while France, Sweden and Spain were the biggest net exporters of electricity (Table 3).
Having a close look at the relative shares of electricity available for final consumption, the net imports of electricity in 2024 (preliminary data) in Luxembourg represented as much as 83.4%, whereas in Lithuania they amounted to 46.1%, in Estonia 36.6%, in Malta 33.4% and in Croatia 25.8%. The biggest net exporters were Sweden, with 26.7% of net exports in electricity available for final consumption, France with 21.8%, Slovenia with 18.5%, Slovak Republic with 12.9% and Czechia with 11.6%,
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Derived heat production
EU total gross production of derived heat in 2023 amounted to 568 TWh, or 3.7% less than in 2022. The highest share of heat was produced from renewable energies (34.4%), followed by natural gas and manufactured gases (32.5%) and solid fossil fuels (17.4%). The detailed data on gross heat production by fuel are shown in Table 4 and Figure 2. Figure 2 also includes preliminary data for 2024[4].
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_Figure_2_V2.png)
(TJ)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_pehcf), (nrg_ind_pehnf)
Production of derived heat from solid fossil fuels continued its long term downward trend into 2023: since 2010 (202 TWh / 727 PJ it decreased by 51.1% to 99 TWh (355 PJ) in 2023 and dropped by 10.3% to 319 PJ in 2024 (preliminary).
Also derived heat from natural gas and manufactured gases together is dropping in the long term. It decreased by 39.6% in 2023 (185 TWh / 665 PJ) compared with 2010 (305 TWh / 1 100 PJ). In 2024 it decreased by 1.2% compared with 2023.
For oil and petroleum products we can see a downward trend with slight fluctuations for heat production: In the period from 2010 until 2023 we observe a decrease of 70.1% (from 51 TWh / 185 PJ to 15 TWh / 55 PJ). In 2024 this trend continued (51 PJ).
Heat produced from renewable sources peaked in 2021 (748 PJ) and afterwards slightly decreased again by 2.1% to 702 PJ in 2023 and remained on a similar level (701 PJ) in 2024.
Consumption of electricity and derived heat
Electricity grids and distribution systems of derived heat always have to be in balance: all produced electricity and derived heat need to be consumed in one way or another. While there are transmission and distribution losses, the overall consumption pattern follows the production pattern very closely.
In 2023, electricity consumption remained relatively stable, apart from the industry sector (which consumed 6% less). Consumption in households declined by 2.3%, in the commercial and public services sector by 1.7% and in the agricultural and forestry sector by 1.4%. In contrast to this, consumption of electricity in the transport sector grew by 7.7%.
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In 2023, electricity consumption amounted to 815 TWh in the industry sector, 691 TWh in households, almost 703 TWh in the services sector, 70 TWh in the transport sector and 46 TWh in the agricultural and forestry sector.
The detailed data on electricity and derived heat production and consumption for 2023 are also presented in the simplified electricity and heat balance in Table 5.
Simplified electricity and derived heat balance
The simplified electricity and derived heat balance is derived from the complete energy balance and presents the most relevant flows for electricity and derived heat - their production and consumption in 2023 (Table 5). All data in the simplified electricity and heat balance for the EU are presented in a common energy unit (ktoe - thousand tonnes of oil equivalent). The simplified balance presents in the first part the fuels input to electricity and heat production, in the second part the electricity and heat produced and in the third part the consumption, offering a more detailed view of the consumption by industry sectors.
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(thousand tonnes of oil equivalent)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_bal_c)
Consumption of electricity per capita in the household sector
Electricity consumption per capita in the household sector in the EU in 2023 was 1.5 MWh per capita (1 545 kWh). Its range varied widely in the EUcountries in 2023, from consumption below 1 MWh per capita in Romania, Poland and Latvia, to consumption of 3.8 MWh per capita in Sweden and 4 MWh in Finland (Figure 4).
(MWh per capita)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_cb_e), (demo_pjan)
Looking at electricity consumption per capita in the household sector in non-EU countries, an even wider range is observed: from 0.7 MWh in Moldova and Georgia to 7.1 MWh in Norway. The range is affected by the choice of energy used for space heating, climate conditions, as well as the level of economic development of each country.
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
Data on energy are submitted on the basis of an internationally agreed methodology in joint annual energy questionnaires (Eurostat - OECD/IEA - UNECE). Data are available for all EU Member States and the methodology is harmonised for all reporting countries. Consequently, comparisons across countries can be performed.
Context
Modern societies are heavily dependent on electricity. Maintaining electricity supply is crucial for economic growth and prosperity of citizens. Heat plays a significant role in the supply of district heating in several countries in Europe. District heating is particularly important in North, Central and Eastern Europe. Electricity and heat are generated from primary energy sources, such as fossil fuels (mostly natural gas and coal), nuclear and renewables (hydro, wind, solar PV, geothermal energy, ambient heat and biofuels). Transition towards more sustainable supply of electricity power (e.g. from fossil fuels towards renewables) is crucially important for implementing the EU's decarbonisation objectives – such as decarbonisation of the industry. Several European policies in the context of the Energy Union, the European Green Deal, REPowerEU and the Clean Industrial Deal are targeting also the electricity supply described in this article.
According to the purpose of production, power plants can be classified as main activity producers (enterprises, both privately or publicly owned, which generate electricity and/or heat for sale to third parties as their principal activity) and autoproducers (enterprises, both privately or publicly owned, which generate electricity and/or heat wholly or partly for their own use as an activity which supports their primary activity). Both main activity producers and autoproducers can produce only electricity, a combination of heat and electricity (CHP) or heat only.
Detailed data on gross electricity production by fuel and by main activity producers and autoproducers, as well as CHP main activity producers and CHP autoproducers are presented in Eurostat's energy database.
Derived heat includes heat produced in main activity producer plants and heat sold produced in autoproducer plants. Heat produced at the final place of consumption in the final consumption sectors (such as households) is not counted as the final energy consumption of "derived heat"; it is counted as the final energy consumption of the respective fuel (electricity, natural gas, etc.).
Gross electricity production is the total amount of electricity produced in power plants. Power plants consume some electricity for their own use; by deducting the own use of power plants from gross electricity production net electricity production is obtained. Net electricity production is transmitted and distributed via grids to final consumers.
Footnotes
- Gas includes natural gas and derived gases; and excludes biogas included in renewable energy sources. ↑
- Oil includes crude oil and petroleum products. ↑
- The category "Other" includes peat, peat products, oil shale and oil sands, non-renewables wastes, heat from chemical sources and other fuels. ↑
- The category "Other" includes nuclear fuels, electricity, heat from chemical sources, oil shale and oil sands, and other fuels. ↑
Explore further
Other articles
Database
- Energy (nrg), see:
Energy statistics - quantities, annual data (nrg_quanta)
- Energy balances (nrg_bal)
- Production of electricity and derived heat by type of fuel (nrg_bal_peh)
- Supply, transformation and consumption - commodity balances (nrg_cb)
- Supply, transformation and consumption of electricity (nrg_cb_e)
- Supply, transformation and consumption of derived heat (nrg_cb_h)
- Energy indicators (nrg_ind)
- Gross and net production of electricity and derived heat by type of plant and operator (nrg_ind_peh)
- Gross production of electricity and derived heat from combustible fuels by type of plant and operator (nrg_ind_pehcf)
- Gross production of electricity and derived heat from non-combustible fuels by type of plant and operator (nrg_ind_pehnf)
- Production of electricity and heat by autoproducers, by type of plant (nrg_ind_pehap)
- Energy infrastructure and capacities (nrg_inf)
- Electricity production capacities by main fuel groups and operator (nrg_inf_epc)
- Electricity production capacities for renewables and wastes (nrg_inf_epcrw)
- Electricity production capacities for combustible fuels by technology and operator (nrg_inf_epct)
- Trade by partner country (nrg_t)
- Imports of electricity and derived heat by partner country (nrg_ti_eh)
- Exports of electricity and derived heat by partner country (nrg_te_eh)
- Energy balances (nrg_bal)
Thematic section
Visualisation
Methodology
- Supply, transformation and consumption — commodity balances (ESMS metadata file — nrg_cb_esms)
- Energy Statistics Manual
Legislation
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action
- Regulation (EC) No 1099/2008 on energy statistics