In Europe, where there was an energy crisis last year, 41.2 million people could not heat themselves.

The European Statistical Office (Eurostat) published the results of research carried out on domestic heating in EU member countries in 2022.

As a result, 9.3 percent of the EU population, numbering 448 million, was unable to adequately heat their homes last winter. Thus, 41.6 million EU citizens were exposed to the cold during the winter months of last year.

The rate of people unable to adequately heat their homes in EU countries was 6.9 percent in 2021.

The rapid increase in the number of people who cannot heat their homes is striking. The rate of those unable to heat their homes last winter increased 2.4 percent compared to the previous year.

THE HIGHEST RATE IS IN BULGARIA

Among EU countries, the country with the highest rate of people unable to heat their homes was Bulgaria, at 22.5 percent. Bulgaria was followed by the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) with 19.2 percent, Greece with 18.7 percent, Portugal and Lithuania with 17.5 percent, Spain with 17.1 percent and Romania with 15.2 percent.

While the rate of people who cannot adequately heat their homes is 10.9 percent in France, 8.8 percent in Italy, 6.6 percent in Germany and 5.3 percent in the Countries In the Netherlands, the countries with the lowest rate are 1.4 percent: Finland with 2.1 percent, Luxembourg with 2.6 percent, Slovenia with 2.6 percent and Austria with 2.7 percent.

Before the war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia was the largest supplier of natural gas to the EU.

With the war, natural gas shipments from Russia to Europe decreased significantly. Gas and electricity prices rose rapidly in Europe and an EU-wide energy crisis began. (AA)