Statistics Explained

Natural gas market indicators

Data extracted in March 2023.

Planned article update: June 2024

Highlights

The lowest market penetration of the largest natural gas import and production company was 22 % in Ireland and 23 % in Czechia in 2021.

Vertical bar chart showing market share of the largest gas production and import companies as percentage of national production in individual EU Member States for the year 2021.

This article takes a look at the natural gas markets in the European Union (EU). It presents recent statistical data on market concentration. Specifically, it analyses the number of companies, the activities that bring natural gas to the national market by importing it or producing it (IMport and PROduction = IMPRO), and retail companies across EU Member States, Serbia, Montenegro, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, Moldova and Georgia. For Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands the data is only partially available.

In 2021 the estimated number of main natural gas IMPRO companies (companies with a market share of 5 % or more) increased from 82 companies in 2020 to 90. The estimated total number of natural gas IMPRO companies in the EU, however, decreased by 38 compared with 2020.

(*)This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.


Full article


General overview

During 2013-2021, the estimated number of main companies with a market share above 5 %, that either produced natural gas by national production or brought natural gas into the country (IMPRO) increased from 60 companies to 90 in the EU, without including Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

In the EU, the total number of natural gas IMPRO companies increased significantly in the period from 2013, when the figure stood at 346 (excluding Denmark and the Netherlands). In 2021, there were around 513 companies (missing data: Denmark and the Netherlands). This means that a significant number of new (small size) companies entered the IMPRO natural gas market during this period.

Natural gas market - import and production (IMPRO)

The information in Table 1 refers to the total number of companies that brought natural gas to the national market by importing it or producing it (IMPRO companies). In 2021, one single company dominated the market in Estonia, Malta and Sweden. Hungary saw the largest increase, from 42 IMPRO companies in 2020 to 52 in 2021. Between 2020 and 2021 the total number of IMPRO companies remained stable in five EU Member States (Belgium, Estonia, Malta, Slovenia and Sweden). Increases could be observed in 12 Member States, while the number of IMPRO companies went down in five EU Member States.

Table showing number of entities producing natural gas by national production or bringing natural gas into the country in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 1: Number of entities producing natural gas by national production or bringing natural gas into the country, 2013-2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Table 2 shows the number of main IMPRO companies that have a market coverage of at least 5 % of the total national indigenous production and import of natural gas. Three EU Member States (Estonia, Malta and Sweden) declared only one single enterprise to have a significant share in 2021. In Ireland there were eight IMPRO companies of considerable size, which is the highest figure in the EU, while in Belgium and Czechia there were six. During the period 2013-2021, the estimated number of main IMPRO companies (5 %) in the EU fluctuated between 58 and 90 companies. Compared with 2020, the estimated number of main IMPRO companies increased by 8.

Table showing number of main entities producing natural gas by national production or bringing natural gas into the country in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 2: Number of main entities producing natural gas by national production or bringing natural gas into the country, 2013-2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Figure 1 displays the cumulated market shares of main IMPRO companies in a given country having each a share of at least 5 % of their respective national markets. Market dominance was lowest in Hungary (67.6 %), which means that relatively small IMPRO companies cover 32.4 % of their total national gas market.

Vertical bar chart showing percentage cumulative market share with scatter plot representing number of main entities producing or importing natural gas in individual EU Member States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia for the year 2021.
Figure 1: Number of main entities producing natural gas by national production or bringing natural gas into the country and their cumulative market share, 2021
(dimensionless and %)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Table 3 displays the market share of the single largest IMPRO company as a share of national indigenous production and import. Apart from Estonia, Malta and Sweden, where only one entity dominates the national market, figures above 80 % for the largest IMPRO company are observed in Poland (88 %) and Slovakia (81 %). The lowest market penetration of the largest IMPRO company at national level was observed in Ireland (22 %).

Table showing percentage market share of the largest production and import gas company in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 3: Market share of the largest production and import gas company, 2013-2021
(%)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Natural gas market - retail

EU Member States, as well as Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova and Georgia also reported information for 2021 concerning the retailing (sales) sector for natural gas.

Table 4 presents information on the total number of retailing companies that sell natural gas to final customers. In 2021, Germany had by far the highest number of retailers, 979, followed by Italy with 697. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of retailers decreased in 13 EU Member States, remained stable in seven and increased in the rest of the Member States that reported data.

Table showing number of retailers selling natural gas to final customers in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 4: Number of retailers selling natural gas to final customers, 2013-2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Table 5 shows the number of main retailers (retailers are considered as "main" if they sell at least 5 % of the total national natural gas consumption). The estimated figures have been slightly increasing since 2013 and reached 111 in 2020. The largest number of main retailers, six, were operating in four of the countries that report data. Malta has a monopolistic market.

Table showing number of main natural gas retailers in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 5: Number of main natural gas retailers, 2013-2021
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Figure 2 illustrates the cumulative market shares of main natural gas retailers for the EU Member States available as well as for North Macedonia, Türkiye, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Georgia. Looking at the remaining retail market, which is the market that is covered by smaller retail companies that have a market coverage of less than 5 %, this market was largest in Germany (75.1 %). This market share was below 10 % in nine of the EU Member States that reported this information.

Vertical bar chart showing percentage cumulative market share with scatter plot representing number of main natural gas retailers to final customers in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia for the year 2021.
Figure 2: Number of main natural gas retailers to final customers and their cumulative market share, 2021
(dimensionless and %)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Table 6 displays the percentage market share of the largest natural gas retailer of total national consumption. This share was 100 % in 2020 for Malta, having only one retailer on the market. Estonia was in second place with a 68 % market share of the largest natural gas retailer. The smallest market penetration for the largest retail company on national level was observed in Italy (17 %).

Table showing percentage market share of the largest natural gas retailer in individual EU Member States, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo and Georgia over the years 2013 to 2021.
Table 6: Market share of the largest natural gas retailer, 2013-2021
(%)
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_market)

Source data for tables and graphs

Data sources

The information on electricity and natural gas market indicators is collected via a voluntary data collection. Although the participation of countries in this voluntary data collection is very high, sometimes the information on individual indicators is not available or is confidential.

The full dataset is available at

Context

The EU has acted to liberalise electricity and gas markets since the second half of the 1990s. Directives adopted in 2003 established common rules for internal markets for electricity and natural gas. Up to now, significant barriers to entry remain in many electricity and natural gas markets as seen through the number of markets still dominated by (near) monopoly suppliers.

In 2019, the European Commission presented the Clean energy for all Europeans package. The Commission completed a comprehensive update of its energy policy framework to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy and to deliver on the EU's Paris Agreement commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas aims to introduce common rules for the transmission, distribution, supply and storage of natural gas with the objectives of providing market access and enabling fair and non-discriminatory competition.

Regulation (EU) 2019/942 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 establishing a European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. ACER, among others, assists the regulatory authorities in carrying out, at EU level, the regulatory tasks performed in the EU countries.


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Database

Energy statistics - market structure indicators - natural gas and electricity (nrg_market)
Energy market indicator (nrg_ind_market)
Energy Statistics - quantities (nrg_quant)
Energy Statistics - quantities, annual data (nrg_quanta)
Supply, transformation and consumption - commodity balances (nrg_cb)
Supply, transformation and consumption of gas (nrg_cb_gas)
Energy Statistics - quantities, monthly data (nrg_quantm)
Energy statistics - supply, transformation, consumption (nrg_10m)
Supply of gas - monthly data (nrg_103m)
Energy statistics - prices of natural gas and electricity (nrg_price)
Energy statistics - natural gas and electricity prices (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc)
Gas prices for household consumers - bi-annual data (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc_202)
Gas prices for non-household consumers - bi-annual data (from 2007 onwards) (nrg_pc_203)
Household consumption volumes of electricity by consumption bands (nrg_pc_204_v)
Non-household consumption volumes of electricity by consumption bands (nrg_pc_205_v)
Gas prices components for household consumers - annual data (nrg_pc_202_c)
Gas prices components for non-household consumers - annual data (nrg_pc_203_c)

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Methodology

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