Energy Shift
Visualizing the EU’s Energy Dependency
Visualizing the EU’s Energy Dependency
In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and EU have imposed heavy sanctions aimed at crippling the Russian economy. However, these bold actions also come with some potentially messy complications: Russia is not only one of the world’s largest exporters of energy products, but it is also Europe’s biggest supplier of these fuels.
As of October 2021, Russia supplied 25% of all oil imported by the EU, which is three times more than the second-largest trade partner. Naturally, the policies and circumstances that have led to this dependency have been under major scrutiny in recent weeks.
To help you learn more, this infographic visualizes energy data from Eurostat.
Energy Dependency, by Country
To start, let’s compare the energy dependence of each EU member, both in 2000 and 2020 (the latest year available). This metric shows the extent to which a country relies upon imports to meet its energy needs.
Note that Denmark’s value of -35.9% for the year 2000 is not a typo. Rather, it means that the country was a net exporter of energy.
| Country | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 65.5% | 58.3% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 78.2% | 78.0% |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 46.4% | 37.9% |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 48.5% | 53.6% |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 98.6% | 93.1% |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 22.7% | 38.9% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | -35.9% | 44.9% |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | 34.0% | 10.6% |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | 55.5% | 42.0% |
| 🇫🇷 France | 51.2% | 44.5% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 59.4% | 63.7% |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 69.1% | 81.4% |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 55.0% | 56.6% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 85.4% | 71.3% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 86.5% | 73.5% |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | 61.0% | 45.5% |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 57.8% | 74.9% |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 99.6% | 92.5% |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | 100.2% | 97.6% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 38.3% | 68.1% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 10.7% | 42.8% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 85.3% | 65.3% |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 21.9% | 28.2% |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 65.1% | 56.3% |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 51.9% | 45.8% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 76.8% | 67.9% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 39.3% | 33.5% |
| Average | 56.3% | 57.5% |
Over this 20-year timeframe, the EU-27 average country’s energy dependence has increased from 56.3% to 57.5%, meaning EU members became slightly more reliant on energy imports over those two decades.
Where Do EU’s Energy Imports Come From?
Looking further into energy imports reveals that Russia is the main supplier of crude oil, coal, and natural gas. Continue below for more details.
Crude Oil Imports
The EU imports more crude oil from Russia than the next three countries combined.
| Country | Percentage of total |
|---|---|
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 26.9% |
| 🇮🇶 Iraq | 9.0% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 7.9% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 7.7% |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 7.3% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 7.0% |
| 🇱🇾 Libya | 6.2% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 5.3% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 4.9% |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 4.5% |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | 2.4% |
| Others | 10.9% |
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Russia was the world’s third largest producer of oil in 2020. The country has several state-owned oil companies including Rosneft and Gazprom.
Coal Imports
Coal-fired power plants are still being used across the EU, though most member states expect to completely phase them out by 2030.
| Country | Percentage of total |
|---|---|
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 46.7% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 17.7% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 13.7% |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 8.2% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 2.8% |
| Others | 10.9% |
Russia has the second largest coal reserves in the world. In 2020, it mined 328 million metric tons, making it the sixth largest producer globally.
Natural Gas Imports
Natural gas is commonly used to heat buildings and water. A majority of the EU’s supply comes from Russia via the Nord Stream series of pipelines.
| Country | Percentage of total |
|---|---|
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 41.1% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 16.2% |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | 7.6% |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | 5.2% |
| Others | 29.9% |
Nord Stream 1 is the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world and was completed in 2011. It starts from the Russian city of Vyborg and connects to the EU through Germany.
Nord Stream 2 is a recently constructed expansion which was expected to double the project’s capacity. Germany has since halted the approval process for this pipeline in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
What Happens Now?
In retaliation against Western sanctions, Russia has announced an impending ban on exports of certain goods and raw materials.
European gas prices skyrocketed in response, as many fear that Russia could cut off natural gas supplies. This, of course, would have very negative effects on both consumers and businesses.
In early March 2022, both the European Commission and the International Energy Agency (IEA) introduced proposals on how Europe could reduce its energy dependency.
We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas. We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us.
– Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
Cutting off one’s biggest supplier is likely to cause issues, especially when dealing with something as critical as energy. Few countries have the capacity (or willingness) to immediately replace Russian imports.
The proposals also discussed options for boosting Europe’s domestic output, though the commission’s report notably excluded nuclear power. For various reasons, nuclear remains a polarizing topic in Europe, with countries taking either a pro or anti stance.
Energy Shift
Charted: Coal Still Dominates Global Electricity Generation
Fossil fuels account for nearly 60% of power generation.
Charted: Coal Still Dominates Global Electricity Generation
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Fossil fuels made up nearly 60% of 2024 electricity generation.
- Coal accounts for 35% of total power generation.
Fossil Fuels Still Power Most of the World
Global energy demand grew faster than average in 2024, driven by rising electricity use across sectors. The power sector led the surge, with demand growing nearly twice as fast as overall energy use—fueled by increased cooling needs, industrial activity, transport electrification, and the expansion of data centers and AI.
Despite a growing push toward cleaner energy sources, coal remains the leading source of electricity generation worldwide. In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for nearly 60% of global power generation, with coal alone contributing 35%, according to the International Energy Agency.
While renewable energy continues to expand, making up about one-third of total electricity production, the global energy mix still leans heavily on traditional sources.
| Country | Coal | Natural Gas | Oil | Renewables | Nuclear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇳 India | 73.4% | 3.3% | 0.2% | 20.5% | 2.6% |
| 🇨🇳 China | 58.4% | 3.2% | 0.1% | 33.9% | 4.4% |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | 15.6% | 42.6% | 0.7% | 23.3% | 17.9% |
| 🇪🇺 EU | 10.7% | 15.6% | 1.5% | 48.7% | 23.6% |
| 🌍 Global | 34.5% | 21.8% | 2.4% | 32.1% | 9.1% |
In emerging markets and developing economies, coal continues to be the backbone of power systems. China, the world’s largest energy consumer, generated nearly 60% of its electricity from coal. In India, coal’s dominance is even more pronounced, providing close to three-quarters of all electricity produced.
In contrast, advanced economies are increasingly relying on cleaner sources. In 2024, the European Union made significant strides in renewable energy adoption—nearly half of its electricity came from renewables, far exceeding the global average.
In the United States, natural gas led the power mix, accounting for over 40% of electricity generation in 2024. President Trump’s pro-coal policies and the surge in energy demand from AI innovation are expected to boost coal production in the U.S. over the next few years.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic that shows how 36 companies are responsible for half of the fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions.
Energy Shift
How the Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Have Changed (2022 vs. 2025)
Despite sanctions against Moscow, the EU remains a key consumer of Russian fossil fuels.
How the Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Have Changed (2022 vs. 2025)
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Since the war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, Russia has earned $915 billion from fossil fuel exports, with EU countries accounting for over $223 billion.
Despite sanctions against Moscow, the EU remains a key consumer of Russian fossil fuels.
This graphic highlights the largest importers of Russian fossil fuels, based on the daily flow of oil and gas, using data from the CREA Fossil Fuel Tracker as of March 2025.
China Becomes the Biggest Buyer
In June 2022, China overtook the EU as the largest importer of Russian fossil fuels. Today, China imports nearly six times more than the EU. India and Turkey have also emerged as major buyers.
| Country | 2022-01-14 (tonnes) | 2025-03-13 (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 435,025 | 607,288 |
| 🇪🇺 EU | 928,998 | 104,646 |
| 🌍 Others | 244,945 | 275,747 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 28,907 | 344,848 |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 138,860 | 239,662 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 93,267 | 30,255 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 33,468 | 0 |
| 🇬🇧 UK | 49,062 | 0 |
Meanwhile, imports from the U.S. and UK, which were relatively small before the invasion, have dropped to zero.
EU Reliance on Russian Fuel
A report released by Ember estimates that European purchases of Russian gas amounted to €21.9 billion ($23.6 billion) in 2024.
Additionally, data collected by Kpler and analyzed by POLITICO Europe revealed that in the first 15 days of 2025, the 27 EU countries imported a record-high 837,300 metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia. This has raised concerns that billions of dollars could be fueling Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Position in Global Oil Production
Russia remains one of the world’s top oil producers, frequently competing with Saudi Arabia for the second spot behind the United States.
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s oil industry was privatized, but in 2021, the state forced a consolidation and restructuring of the sector. Today, Gazprom, Rosneft, and Lukoil are Russia’s leading oil and gas producers.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic that shows Ukraine’s mineral resources.
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