Revenue from carbon dioxide-related taxes in the EU rose from €15 billion in 2017 to €51 billion in 2023.
Carbon dioxide taxes are charged on the carbon content of fossil fuels, and their share of the EU’s overall energy taxes increased from 6.0% in 2017 to 19.7% in 2023, Eurostat announced in a release on Thursday.
In 2023, businesses paid 76.4% of these carbon taxes, while households contributed 22.3% and non-residents 1.3%.
The biggest shares came from the energy sector — defined as the supply of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning — which accounted for 30.1% of the total, followed by manufacturing at 29.4%.
Who paid the most in 2023
The breakdown shows most carbon tax revenue was collected from economic activity rather than household consumption in 2023, with businesses contributing more than three-quarters of the total, Eurostat said.
The figures were published alongside the statistical office’s 2024 update that nearly 50% of EU electricity came from renewables.
