EU Environmental Tax Revenue Up 6.1% in 2024: Latest Eurostat Report

According to the latest data from the European Union’s statistical office, EU environmental tax revenues increased by 6.1% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Although the amount rose nominally, the share of environmental taxes relative to gross domestic product (GDP) and total tax revenues shows a clear decline over the past ten years.

Key Data: A 6.1% Increase in 2024

Based on Eurostat’s official release, environmental tax revenues amounted to €371.9 billion across the European Union in 2024. Compared to the €350.4 billion registered in 2023, this represents an increase of exactly €21.4 billion, or 6.1%, within a single year.

Tax Revenue Share Relative to GDP Has Decreased

Despite the nominal growth, the weight of environmental taxes is shrinking when measured against macroeconomic indicators. While this share relative to the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) was 2.5% in 2014, it dropped to 2.1% by 2024. Concurrently, the share of environmental taxes in the total government revenue from taxes and social contributions also moderated: falling from 6.1% a decade ago to 5.1%.

Distribution of Revenue Sources: Energy Taxes Dominate

Examining the internal structure of tax revenues reveals that energy taxes continue to provide the most significant source in the EU. Their value jumped from €269.3 billion in 2023 to €287.0 billion in 2024.

The second most significant category is transport taxes, with revenues increasing from €64.0 billion previously to €67.0 billion this year. Taxes on pollution and resources represent the smallest portion; here, the revenue rose from €17.2 billion the previous year to only €17.9 billion.

Changes at the Member State Level: Romania Leads, Sweden Among Those Declining

A breakdown by Member State highlights that environmental tax revenues increased in 22 of the 27 EU countries in 2024. The highest growth, 21.7%, was achieved by Romania. It is followed by Lithuania with a 13.9% increase, and Poland with 12.7%. The official report also specifically highlights Hungary among the states achieving significant growth, where a 12.2% expansion was recorded. (Due to a possible typo, the text of the official Eurostat release also mentions Poland with an 11.2% value in the list of countries showing the highest increases).

In contrast, these revenues decreased in 5 EU Member States compared to the previous year. The most drastic drop, 17.7%, occurred in Sweden. It is followed by Slovakia (-6.1%), Finland (-3.8%), Greece (-3.7%), and Bulgaria (-2.3%).

Methodological Background: What Constitutes an Environmental Tax?

The European System of Accounts (ESA 2010) provides a framework for interpreting the data. According to this definition, an environmental tax is a tax whose tax base is a physical unit (or a proxy of it) of something that has a proven, specific negative impact on the environment. The precise statistics related to this are derived from Eurostat’s dataset coded env_ac_taxind2.

Official Source and Reference Link:

• Official Eurostat Report (July 22, 2026): EU environmental tax revenue up 6.1% in 2024