Electricity in Europe - statistics & facts
With a population of around 740 million inhabitants, or roughly 10 percent of the global population, Europe is the third world’s largest electricity consumers behind Asia and North America. In 2022, Europeans consumed approximately 3.3 petawatt-hours of electricity, roughly the same consumption of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America combined. While the total electricity demand in European countries is mostly proportional to population size, Nordic countries are the most intense consumers in the region, with Iceland, Norway, and Finland recording the highest electricity consumption per capita.
Nevertheless, the electricity generation mix varies widely across the continent. In Germany, the largest electricity producer in Europe, coal still accounts for over 30 percent of the country’s gross electricity generation, followed by wind power as the second leading source. Meanwhile in runner-up France, nuclear accounted for over 60 percent of the electricity output in 2022. With France, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, and Denmark were the countries with the largest share of clean electricity generated in the EU.
How is electricity generated in Europe?
In one way or another, Europe has always been at the forefront of the clean energy transition. With more than 1,450 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity generation in 2021, the region boasted the second largest figure globally, trailing only behind Asia. However, there is still a long road ahead. In 2022, renewable sources accounted for less than 40 percent of the European Union’s electricity generation. Although nuclear energy is the largest source of electricity in the region, with over 600 terawatt-hours produced, fossil fuels still contribute roughly the same share as renewables, with gas alone responsible for one fifth of the EU’s power output that year.Nevertheless, the electricity generation mix varies widely across the continent. In Germany, the largest electricity producer in Europe, coal still accounts for over 30 percent of the country’s gross electricity generation, followed by wind power as the second leading source. Meanwhile in runner-up France, nuclear accounted for over 60 percent of the electricity output in 2022. With France, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, and Denmark were the countries with the largest share of clean electricity generated in the EU.
