According to data released by the European Statistical Service Eurostat, the EU’s natural gas demand fell by 7.4% in 2023 to a total of 12.72 million yen, the lowest figure since 2008. This is also the second consecutive year after the demand for natural gas fell by 13.3% in 2022, once again showing Europe’s progress in responding to the energy crisis and reducing dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

The decline in natural gas demand is closely linked to the measures outlined in Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1369. The Regulation establishes a series of coordinated measures to reduce natural gas demand as part of the REPowerEU program. The REPowerEU program aims to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels while addressing the ongoing energy crisis and rising energy prices. This series of measures includes improving energy efficiency, accelerating the deployment of renewable energy sources and promoting energy supply diversification.

Of the 27 EU member states, 21 countries saw a decrease in natural gas consumption in 2023. Germany, Italy and France were the countries with the most significant declines, with decreases of 3.8%, 10% and 11.7% respectively.

Germany: Natural gas consumption totaled 29.6 million yuan, down 3.8% compared to 2022. Germany as the EU’s largest economy and major natural gas consumer, its decline in demand has a significant impact on overall data.
Italy: Total consumption of 2.35 million yen, a decrease of 10% compared to the previous year.The Italian government has taken a series of measures to reduce its reliance on natural gas, including increasing the use of renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency.
France: Consumption decreased by 11.7%, to a total of 13.6 million yen. Frances efforts to reduce natural gas demand include promoting the development of nuclear and renewable energy sources.
Exceptional countries with rising demand
Despite the decline in gas demand in most countries, there are still a few countries where demand has increased, including Finland (+25.6%), Sweden (+11.1%), Poland (+5.3%), Malta (+4.5%), Denmark (+1.1%) and Croatia (+0.8%).

The EU has taken a number of measures to address the energy crisis and reduce energy dependence on Russia.These measures include not only the formulation of laws and regulations, but also the construction of actual energy infrastructure and policy adjustments:

Improving energy efficiency: Through energy-saving measures and technological innovations, EU Member States have significantly improved energy efficiency in areas such as construction, industry and transportation.
Accelerating the deployment of renewable energy sources: The rapid development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar has significantly reduced reliance on fossil fuels.
Promote energy diversification: The EU has increased its investment in imports of LNG, while seeking cooperation with other energy suppliers to ensure energy diversification and security.
Building energy reserves: Strengthen the construction of gas reserves and improve the capacity to cope with emergency energy shortages.By building strategic reserves, the EU has a stronger capacity to respond to energy supply disruptions.