To address the reduction in Russian gas supplies since the start of the war in Ukraine, European Union countries had set a target to reduce natural gas consumption by 15 per cent between August 2022 and March 2023, compared to the average of the previous five years. In December, Eurostat announced that the EU was on track to reach this target, with gas consumption in the EU-27 countries falling by approximately 20% between August and November (compared to the 2017-2021 average).

As shown on the map, gas consumption fell in most member states during the period in question. In eighteen countries, including Germany (-20%), consumption decreased by more than 15%, and in some cases, significantly more. The largest decreases in consumption were in Finland (-53%), Latvia (-43%) and Lithuania (-42%).

Although 6 member states have reduced their consumption of this energy source, they have not yet reached the 15% target. Conversely, natural gas consumption increased in two countries: Malta (+7%) and Slovakia (nearly +3%).