Primary energy consumption in selected European countries 2020

Among the European countries, primary energy consumption was highest in Germany in 2020, at 12.11 exajoules. This was followed by France and the United Kingdom. Primary energy is energy taken directly from natural resources such as crude oil, coal and wind. This means primary energy can be either non-renewable or renewable.

Fossil fuel consumption highest

In 2020, primary energy consumption in the European Union derived mostly from fossil fuels, with natural gas consumption amounting to 13.7 exajoules. In comparison, the consumption of coal for primary energy has been in a steady decline, signaling a shift away from this energy source. The consumption of renewables has been increasing annually during this time period and amounted to nearly seven exajoules.

Global consumption

Primary energy consumption is highest in Asia and Pacific region, with consumption in this region amounting to 253 exajoules in 2020. Globally, China is the largest consumer of primary energy in the world and consumed 145.5 exajoules in the same year. This was approximately 26 percent of global consumption.