Energy consumption per capita back at 1970 level

© ANP / Patricia Rehe
Total energy consumption in the Netherlands, calculated per capita, fell even further in 2022 to 154 gigajoules. This brought the consumption level back to roughly 1970’s level, but it is still 11 times higher than in 1800. In 2022, the Netherlands was 77 percent dependent on energy from other countries. That has not been this high since the State Mines in the province of Limburg were first opened in 1906. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of newly released figures.

Energy consumption per capita
JaarEnergy consumption per capita (gigajoules (GJ))
180014.4
180114.5
180214.5
180313.9
180414.1
180514.1
180614.1
180713.7
180813.6
180913.6
181013.5
181113.5
181213.5
181313.6
181413.6
181513.7
181613.5
181713.9
181814.1
181914.2
182014.3
182114.4
182214.3
182314.3
182414.5
182514.8
182614.9
182715.0
182815.3
182915.2
183015.3
183114.2
183214.3
183313.7
183412.9
183513.2
183613.4
183713.7
183814.2
183914.0
184018.0
184116.8
184216.6
184316.6
184416.1
184517.1
184617.0
184717.6
184816.9
184917.0
185018.1
185118.5
185218.9
185318.0
185419.2
185519.4
185620.9
185720.5
185820.5
185920.6
186021.9
186121.3
186222.1
186322.1
186424.7
186525.9
186626.5
186726.6
186827.4
186927.6
187028.9
187128.9
187229.8
187329.5
187428.0
187529.5
187631.4
187731.1
187830.5
187931.4
188032.9
188132.7
188232.5
188333.1
188433.1
188533.7
188633.5
188733.0
188835.6
188934.5
189033.2
189136.7
189235.6
189334.7
189434.6
189534.0
189635.7
189736.8
189836.1
189937.0
190038
190136
190236
190337
190438
190539
190641
190741
190841
190943
191043
191145
191252
191353
191448
191548
191645
191732
191828
191940
192040
192139
192245
192344
192449
192551
192651
192756
192857
192961
193059
193158
193255
193355
193454
193551
193652
193758
193856
193960
194045
194143
194241
194341
194428
194520
194640
194748
194850
194953
195059
195161
195260
195361
195466
195569
195675
195771
195871
195972
196080
196182
196291
196398
1964102
1965108
1966112
1967118
1968130
1969143
1970159
1971163
1972184
1973194
1974190
1975182
1976200
1977192
1978194
1979203
1980193
1981181
1982160
1983166
1984175
1985176
1986181
1987185
1988182
1989181
1990190
1991196
1992193
1993195
1994195
1995200
1996210.12
1997202
1998202
1999197
2000198
2001202
2002203
2003208
2004209.74
2005206
2006204
2007203
2008200
2009197
2010209.58
2011194
2012194
2013189
2014179
2015182
2016184
2017184
2018180
2019176
2020169
2021**173
2022**154
** more detailed provisional figures

Energy consumption per capita was highest between 1995 and 2010 and has been falling since 2013. This decline is linked to dwellings and cars becoming more energy efficient, and milder winters are a factor as well. In 2022, the year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, energy consumption per inhabitant (154 GJ per capita) even fell to the 1970 level, mainly due to decreasing natural gas consumption. The current consumption per capita is still 11 times higher than in 1800, when it was approximately 14 GJ.

Growth in energy consumption due to fossil fuels

Between 1960 and 1973, energy consumption in all sectors of the economy skyrocketed due to the use of fossil fuels, crude oil and natural gas. In 1960, total energy consumption in the Netherlands was over 900 petajoules (PJ), while in 1973 this had risen to 2,600 PJ. After 1973, growth in energy consumption stalled because of the first oil crisis. This led to an economic recession and a focus on energy savings, such as home insulation, car-free Sundays and measures implemented in manufacturing. After decades of steady growth, energy consumption reached an all-time high of 3,470 PJ in 2010. As of 2013 energy consumption dropped, despite population growth.
Up until 2018, more than 90 percent of the energy consumed in the Netherlands originated from fossil fuels. In 2022, this share stood at 83 percent.

Energy consumption by energy carrier
 Peat (Petajoules (PJ))Coal (Petajoules (PJ))Crude oil (Petajoules (PJ))Natural gas (Petajoules (PJ))Non-fossil (Petajoules (PJ))
1800114.30015
1801124.50015
1802124.50015
1803123.10015
1804123.60015
1805123.60015
1806123.80015
18071230015
1808122.70015
1809122.60015
1810132.30015
1811132.20015
1812132.20015
1813132.40015
1814132.40015
1815132.60015
1816132.30015
1817143.30015
1818143.70015
1819143.90015
1820144.10016
1821144.30016
1822144.20016
1823144.30016
1824155.10016
1825156.20017
1826156.50017
1827156.80017
1828157.50017
1829157.20017
1830157.60017
1831165.90017
18321680016
1833167.20017
18341660017
18351770017
1836187.60017
1837198.60017
1838219.80018
1839229.40018
18402311.10018
18412010.20018
1842219.80018
18432010.60018
1844209.80019
18451914.20019
18462310.70019
18472213.40019
18482012.80019
18492012.90019
185022150019
18512514.20019
18522416.20019
18532315.40019
18542418.20019
18552320.30019
18562919.70019
18572819.50019
185826220019
185926230019
186025280019
186127250019
186230250019
186331250019
186428360.2019
186528420.2019
186628450.3019
186728450.5019
186830470.6019
186930480.6019
187030540.6019
187130540.8019
187230580.8019
187332561.1019
187432521.2019
187532591.4019
187632681.3018
187732681.5018
187827731.6018
187927781.8017
188027862017
188127872.2016
188227882.5016
188324952.8015
188424973.2015
1885241013.3015
1886241023.6014
1887241041.6014
1888241163.8014
1889241134.2013
1890241094.4013
1891241264.8013
1892271205.2013
1893231215.5012
1894231226012
1895221226.4012
1896231316.5012
1897241386.9011
1898261367.3011
1899291407.2011
1900241547.3011
1901191507.7010
1902181508.1010
1903191608.3010
1904191707.7010
190519175809
1906191908.209
1907191968.109
1908192007.909
1909192117.909
1910162217.909
191120235808
191231266808
1913122957.308
1914152697.908
1915152767.908
1916172558.108
1917241744.208
191824155007
1919242191407
1920232211906
1921112371506
1922112781606
1923112742106
1924113092506
1925113282606
1926113322805
1927103683405
1928113833205
1929104203605
1930114113705
1931114024305
1932103903504
1933103943704
1934103983504
1935103744004
1936103844404
1937104215704
1938104056304
1939104327305
1940103572505
194110366304
194210351305
194310354104
194410238004
194510170004
19463055709
19473677809
19483928609
194941710209
195045612609
1951474138010
1952462146110
1953473157110
1954485194310
1955493226411
1956513281511
1957474290411
1958450325511
1959426371712
19604394461212
19614324881612
19624585731813
19634716672013
19644167662813
19653798655514
196635291810514
196732395618915
1968297102231215
1969271108145817
1970209118964618
1971149113183618
19721251221108119
19731261247119430
19741271095128156
197598999131563
19761031192137475
19771061115135679
19781261125136387
19791431247137383
19801621199127485
19811861091121279
1982149906114889
1983204863122190
1984260874129089
1985260833135597
1986260928136288
1987267942140790
19883199751275103
1989323959130696
199036710581287117
199133610491439115
199233510621394125
199333710721435134
199436710931397135
199537411211444146
199636111491591154
199735211501497150
199835811571488164
199931211561448192
200032511591466197
200134611891502195
200234812191499199
200335913061506203
200435513061539212
200533913051479241
200632413141434252
200735213201396249
200833412351451264
200931212051486238
201031612571678223
201131112041467255
201234112171402291
201334311411398284
201437911301218283
201546411341199274
201643011711257265
201738611861305272
201834711591287307
201926911131342322
202017210801316381
202123411031262433
20222311056977451

Dependence on foreign countries increased

With less natural gas being extracted in Groningen, more of it was imported from abroad as from 2015. As a result, dependence on energy from other countries rose to 77 percent in 2022. The Netherlands was already highly dependent on coal and crude oil imports, and biomass is partly imported from abroad as well. The Netherlands was relatively independent from other countries for a long time thanks to the production of domestic natural gas. Since the opening of the State Mines in Limburg in 1906, foreign dependence has not been as high as it was in 2022.

Energy dependence of the Netherlands by energy carrier
 Peat (%)Coal (%)Crude oil (%)Natural gas (%)Renewable (%)Other (%)
18000130000
18010130000
18020130000
1803090000
18040100000
18050100000
18060110000
1807080000
1808060000
1809060000
1810050000
1811050000
1812050000
1813050000
1814040000
1815060000
1816060000
1817080000
1818090000
18190100000
18200100000
18210110000
18220100000
18230110000
18240130000
18250150000
18260160000
18270160000
18280170000
18290170000
18300170000
18310130000
18320180000
18330160000
18340140000
18350160000
18360160000
18370180000
18380190000
18390170000
18400190000
18410190000
18420190000
18430200000
18440190000
18450260000
18460190000
18470240000
18480240000
18490240000
18500260000
18510240000
18520260000
18530260000
18540280000
18550310000
18560280000
18570280000
18580310000
18590320000
18600380000
18610340000
18620330000
18630320000
18640420000
18650460000
18660470000
18670471000
18680471000
18690481000
18700511000
18710511000
18720521000
18730501000
18740481000
18750511000
18760551000
18770551000
18780601000
18790611000
18800642000
18810642000
18820642000
18830682000
18840682000
18850692000
18860692000
18870711000
18880722000
18890713000
18900713000
18910743000
18920713000
18930733000
18940734000
18950734000
18960744000
18970744000
18980734000
18990724000
19000744000
19010764000
19020754000
19030754000
19040774000
19050774000
19060784000
19070773000
19080753000
19090753000
19100763000
19110743000
19120723000
19130782000
19140753000
19150733000
19160703000
19170642000
19180630000
19190615000
19200587000
19210615000
19220605000
19230577000
19240567000
19250547000
19260528000
19270508000
19280498000
19290478000
19300458000
19310439000
19320428000
19330408000
19340388000
19350369000
193603410000
193703212000
193803013000
193903014000
19400336000
19410351000
19420351000
19430350000
19440340000
19450340000
194603015000
194702915000
194802913000
194902914000
195002819000
195102220000
195202222000
195302222000
195402626000
195502628000
195602732000
195702634000
195802137000
195901841000
196001845000
196101646000
196201949000
196301952000
196401558000
196501161000
196601062000
196701060000
196801059000
19690857000
19700556000
19710352000
19720349000
19730347000
19740442000
19750439000
19760442000
19770441000
19780541100
19790543100
19800643200
19810741200
19820738200
19830834200
198401032200
198501030100
198601032100
198701032100
198801234200
198901233200
199001335200
199101133100
199201134200
199301134200
199401234200
199501234200
199601134300
199701135400
199801135400
199901036602
200001035902
2001011351002
2002011351202
2003011371202
200401037802
2005010371012
2006010381112
2007011381112
2008010361012
2009010361111
201009351110
2011010361011
2012010361112
2013011351102
2014013361202
2015015361701
2016014371901
2017012372301
2018011372511
201909362810
202006363220
202108363020
202209382820