Energy use for space cooling in EU has doubled in 6 years

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in 2026, Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July period on record ^[1].  The trend continued in August, with some countries suffering a fourth heatwave since May.

 

Consequently, the use of air conditioning is spreading in the EU. According to Eurostat, energy consumption for cooling in EU households reached 80.4 thousand terajoules (TJ) in 2024, essentially doubling from 40.5 thousand TJ recorded in 2018 ^[2]. Figure 1 illustrates the evolution of energy consumption for air conditioning in the EU between 2018 and 2019.

 

 

 

Among EU countries, Italy was the largest driver of the increase in value, with an added 17,305 TJ between 2018 and 2024. This was followed by Spain with an additional 8,017 TJ, and France with an additional 3,250 TJ between 2018 and 2024.

 

When considering percentage growth, Austria’s energy use for space cooling grew the fastest, by over a 1,000%, from 22 to 253 between 2018 and 2024 (see figure 2).

 

 

As global temperatures rise due to climate change, adaptation through air conditioning is becoming a vital necessity to maintain labour productivity and safeguard human health. IIR projects that the stock of air conditioners will double in Europe by 2050 ^[3].

 

 

For further information on solutions to reduce energy consumption from air-conditioning systems in residential and industrial settings, see IIR’s latest technical brief on Dehumidification in Air Conditioning 

 

 

Sources

[1] WMO, 12 August 2026. https://wmo.int/media/news/record-breaking-heat-and-extreme-weather-continue

[2] Eurostat, 8 July 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260708-1