In 2024, 9.2% of the European Union’s population was unable to keep their homes adequately warm, according to Eurostat. This represents an improvement of 1.4 percentage points compared with 2023, indicating some relief after the peak of the recent energy crisis. Nevertheless, the data shows that energy poverty remains a significant and uneven problem across the EU.
The highest shares were recorded in Bulgaria and Greece (both 19.0%), followed by Lithuania (18.0%) and Spain (17.5%). These figures highlight ongoing structural challenges, including low household incomes, inefficient housing, and high energy costs relative to earnings.
By contrast, Finland reported the lowest rate at 2.7%, with Poland and Slovenia (both 3.3%), and Estonia and Luxembourg (both 3.6%) also performing well. These countries benefit from stronger social support systems, better insulation standards, or more resilient energy infrastructure.
Malta, however, moved against the broader EU trend. The share of people unable to keep their homes adequately warm rose from 6.8% in 2023 to 7.8% in 2024, suggesting increasing pressure on household energy affordability despite the overall improvement at EU level.
While the overall decline suggests that falling energy prices and policy interventions have had a positive effect, nearly one in ten EU residents still struggling to heat their homes underlines the limits of short-term measures.
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