Agriculture and forestry energy use down 1.1% in 2023

In 2023, the EU’s agriculture and forestry sector consumed 26.4 million tonnes of oil equivalent of energy. This represented a decrease of 1.1% compared with 2022. The sector’s share of the total EU energy consumption remained unchanged at 3.0%.

The agriculture and forestry sector in the Netherlands accounted for the highest share of national total direct energy consumption at 7.8%, followed by Poland (5.2%) and Latvia (5.0%). In contrast, Luxembourg (0.8%), Slovakia (1.3%) and Slovenia (1.6%) recorded the lowest shares. 

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Source dataset: nrg_bal_s

In 2023, oil and petroleum products accounted for a majority (58.3%) of the EU agriculture and forestry sector’s direct energy consumption. Electricity was the second-largest source (15.1%), followed by natural gas (12.1%) and renewables and biofuels (11.7%).

For more information

• Statistics Explained article on agri-environmental indicator – energy use
• Thematic section on agriculture
• Database on agri-environmental indicators
• Thematic section on energy
• Database on energy statistics
• Data visualizations on energy

Methodological notes

• Values refer to direct energy consumption - energy consumed directly by agriculture and forestry with the use of machinery (e.g. cultivation of fields with tractors) and the heating of livestock stables and greenhouses. Indirect uses, such as agrochemicals, farm machinery and buildings or production of inorganic nitrogen fertilisers are not covered by this indicator.
• This indicator has links to a number of other Agri-environmental indicators (AEI) that describe developments related to agriculture and the environment.

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