These are the most used energy sources in Europe

Oct 19, 2022

With the collaboration of Statista.

Fossil fuels still make up the majority of Europe's energy sources. Image: Nicolas HIPPERT on Unsplash

Anna Fleck

Data Journalist, Statista

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Despite pushes to switch away from fossil fuels, much of Europe is still heavily reliant on these heavy pollutants as an energy source.
Iceland, Norway and Sweden are the only countries in Europe to rely mostly on hydropower.
France stands out for its use of nuclear energy, while Denmark relies mostly wind energy.

Much of Europe has set itself the goal of switching away from heavily polluting fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources.

Our chart shows a snapshot of the energy landscape in Europe right now, using data from BP’s latest annual report. It reveals that while there’s some variation in energy types across the bloc, fossil fuels still make up the lion’s share of the energy sources the continent is most reliant on. Exceptions to the rule include France, which stands out for its nuclear power usage, and Denmark, which relies predominantly on renewables - mostly wind energy.

Iceland, Norway and Sweden are the only countries in Europe to rely mostly on hydropower. While this is also a type of renewable energy, BP gives it its own subcategory due to the environmental impact of large scale hydropower projects. In Iceland and Norway, hydropower makes up more than 60 percent of the countries’ energy supply.

Image: Statista

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