Only one in five households in the EU has air conditioning.

Omissions

• The sources supporting the ~20% figure refer to 'Europe' in general (IEA-based estimates, CNN reporting) rather than strictly to EU households as defined by Eurostat.
• The most directly relevant official Eurostat data found (published 2026-07-08, the same day as the session) concerns energy consumption for space cooling in EU households (80.4 thousand TJ in 2024, double the 2018 level), not the share of households with air conditioning — a related but different indicator.
• The share varies enormously within the EU (much higher in southern member states, very low in northern ones); the 20% figure is a European average.
• No primary Eurostat figure for the exact share of EU households with air conditioning could be retrieved in the searches performed; the ~20% figure rests on secondary/tertiary reporting of IEA data.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — Eurostat newsIn EU households, energy consumption for cooling has steadily increased, reaching 80.4 thousand terajoules (TJ) in 2024. In 2018, EU households ... (energy use for cooling doubled in 6 years)
• PrimaryInternational Energy Agency (IEA) — data and statisticsShare of population living in a hot climate, 2022, and penetration of air conditioners, 2000-2022 — Chart and data by the International Energy Agency.
• SecondaryCNNWhile nearly 90% of US homes have air conditioning, in Europe it's around 20%, and some countries have much lower rates.
• TertiaryOur World in Data (IEA data)Share of households with air conditioning, 2025 — Percentage of households equipped with air conditioning. Source: International Energy Agency (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.