Energy is a central determinant of a country’s living standards. Modern economies rely on energy across all major sectors: to power industrial activity; to heat and cool homes and workplaces in the services sector (offices, hotels, hospitals, and public buildings); to fuel transport; and to support agricultural production. Therefore, the availability of energy, the security of its supply, and its cost shape production possibilities, household welfare, and the overall competitiveness of an economy.

Energy originates from primary sources, which include fossil fuels—such as oil, natural gas, and lignite (coal)—as well as renewable sources, including hydropower, solar energy, and wind power. Primary energy can be used directly (for example, natural gas for space heating) or first transformed into secondary energy, most notably electricity, which is then consumed by households and firms.

At the level of everyday economic activity, the energy items that households and firms interact with directly are , and . The full energy chain from primary energy to final consumption is measured in the.

The following chart shows the value of imports and exports, as well as the trade balance, for mineral fuels and energy. It also provides a breakdown of imports and exports by the main categories: coal, petroleum products, natural and manufactured gas, and electricity.

A key challenge of the coming decades is the transition to renewable power. The next graph shows the renewable shares for electricity production, transport, and heating.