Four in five people across the EU say they have experienced at least one climate-related impact in the past five years, according to a new survey analysed by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The findings come from an online Eurofound survey in 2025 of more than 27,000 respondents in 27 European countries, published in a report titled "Overheated and underprepared," the EEA reported on Wednesday.
Impacts reported in the survey included extreme heat, flooding, wildfires, water scarcity, wind, and mosquito or tick bites.
More than half of respondents said they were very or quite concerned about extremely high temperatures in the future, and they were also very or quite concerned about wildfires.
One in five respondents said they did not have any of the household measures listed in the survey to protect against extreme weather — including shading, air conditioning or ventilation, flood proofing, rainwater collection, or extreme weather insurance.
More than 38% of respondents said they could not afford to keep their home adequately cool in summer, the report found.
Differences between regions and incomes
Northern Europe had the lowest share of respondents reporting both climate impacts and the presence of the resilience measures listed in the survey, according to the analysis.
The survey also found differences linked to income, with four times as many respondents in households with the lowest financial means reporting problems accessing safe and clean water.
Climate change affects the lives of four in five EU citizens but only a quarter are equipped with appropriate instruments to cope with it, Eurofound executive director Ivailo Kalfin said.
Household-level readiness will need boosting and actions should be affordable and socially fair, EEA executive director Leena Ylä-Mononen said.
