EU final energy consumption: These sectors require the most energy

Germany is one of the EU countries with the highest energy consumption in private households: around 30 percent is accounted for by this sector – more than by the transport or industry sectors. Heating homes, hot water, and everyday electricity needs are the main drivers of consumption. In many other EU countries, however, energy consumption in the transport sector dominates. These are the findings of an analysis by the Berlin-based climate tech company Purpose Green ( www.purpose-green.com ), which examined the final energy consumption of EU member states based on Eurostat data.

In one year, the EU member states consume a total of approximately 842,140 toe (kilotonnes of oil equivalent) – equivalent to almost 9.8 billion kWh. The transport sector accounts for the highest energy consumption in Europe, accounting for 33 percent, followed by private households at 27 percent and industry at 26 percent. The sector with the lowest energy consumption is commercial and public services, at 14 percent.

In Germany, one third of final energy consumption is accounted for by private households

In Germany, 30 percent of final energy consumption is attributable to private households. Two-thirds of the energy in private households is used for heating, and 17 percent for hot water. The remaining energy is divided between lighting and electrical appliances (10 percent), cooking (6 percent), other final uses (1 percent), and space cooling (0.2 percent).

After private households, the industrial and transport sectors follow in Germany, accounting for 28.45 and 27.79 percent, respectively. Commercial and public services account for 14 percent of energy consumption. However, the distribution of final energy consumption among the various sectors varies significantly across EU member states:

1. Private households

Private households account for more than a third of total energy consumption in Estonia – with around 38 percent, Estonia leads the sector in this sector. In Denmark, Hungary, and Romania, private households account for around 34 percent, in Croatia around 33 percent, and in Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania around 30 percent. In Luxembourg, however, this sector accounts for just under 16 percent.

2. Industrial sector

Germany ranks seventh in energy consumption in the industrial sector, with 28 percent. In Finland, this sector accounts for 43 percent of total energy consumption, in Sweden 39 percent, and in the Netherlands 33 percent. Malta, Estonia, and Cyprus are at the bottom of the rankings with 11 percent, 14 percent, and 16 percent, respectively.

3. Transport sector

The transport sector accounts for the largest energy consumption in the EU (33 percent). The transport sector accounts for the largest share of total energy consumption in the commuter country of Luxembourg, at 52 percent. In Malta and Cyprus—the countries with the lowest final energy consumption in Europe—the sector accounts for 47 and 44 percent, respectively. The transport sector accounts for the smallest share in Finland (18 percent), Sweden (22 percent), the Netherlands (27 percent), and Germany (28 percent).

4. Commercial and public services

Commercial and public services consume the least energy in Europe (14 percent). In Malta, this sector accounts for 22 percent, followed by Cyprus (19 percent) and Ireland (18 percent). In Romania, commercial and public services account for only nine percent of total energy consumption, in Slovenia 9.97 percent, and in Hungary 10.30 percent. Germany ranks in the middle at 14 percent.

Germany has the highest energy consumption within the EU

In absolute terms, Germany has by far the highest final energy consumption in Europe: 175,984 toe per year, equivalent to over two billion kWh. France and Italy follow in second and third place, with 123,053 and 105,307 toe, respectively. It should be noted that Germany, France, and Italy are also the most populous countries in the EU.

At the time of data collection, Luxembourg had a population of approximately 660,000. With a final energy consumption of 2,895 toe, the small state achieved a per capita energy consumption of 438 toe per 100,000 inhabitants – ranking first among the countries with the highest per capita energy consumption. This is likely due, among other things, to the high number of commuters. Finland and Sweden follow in second and third place, with 386 and 276 toe per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. Malta, with its population of approximately 563,000 at the time, not only had the lowest total energy consumption (573 toe) but also the lowest per capita energy consumption (106 toe per 100,000 inhabitants). Romania and Greece also had low per capita energy consumption, with 117 and 139 toe per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively.

The influence of the building sector on energy consumption

"Unfortunately, Eurostat data does not list the building sector as a single sector, even though it is one of the sectors with the highest environmental impact. In the statistics, energy consumption for the use of buildings is distributed across the different sectors. It should not be underestimated that the use of buildings accounts for 42 percent of total energy consumption and 35 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Almost 75 percent of the building stock is currently not energy efficient, which in turn explains why private households account for a significant share of final energy consumption in the EU.

To achieve the EU's target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030, new buildings must be carbon-neutral and existing buildings must be modernized. To achieve this, the construction industry must significantly accelerate the energy refurbishment of buildings in the EU, and property owners must also take responsibility for their buildings. Economically viable energy-efficient refurbishment measures to decarbonize the building sector are cornerstones for achieving the EU's climate protection goals," explains Daniel Schreiner, ESG Lead at Purpose Green.

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The detailed study results can be found in our blog article " Between heating demand and traffic "

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About the investigation

Purpose Green analyzed Eurostat's 2023 data on final energy consumption by sector. For the study, the climate tech company calculated the percentage share per sector and per capita energy consumption for each country. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom were excluded because Eurostat data were not available.

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