Electricity prices worldwide 2020, by select country

Germany has the highest electricity prices worldwide. In March 2020, German households were charged around 0.38 U.S. dollars per kilowatt hour plus value added tax. By comparison, in neighboring Poland, residents paid half as much, while households in the United States were charged even less.

Differences between the electricity market in Germany and Qatar

Electricity prices vary widely and sometimes even within a country itself, depending on factors like infrastructure, geography, and politically determined taxes and levies. In Germany, grid fees and the renewable surcharge make up nearly half of total electricity prices. German electricity prices sharply increased in 2012, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the government's swift response in shutting down numerous nuclear reactors. As the country aims to transition away from fossil and nuclear energy, the share of renewable sources in electricity generation has notably increased. Since 2017 renewables have accounted for over one third of electricity produced.

Thanks to its great crude oil and natural gas production output and being a net exporter of energy, Qatar enjoys some of the cheapest electricity prices in the world. Here, the average household pays only 0.03 U.S. dollars per kilowatt hour.