Ireland had the highest electricity prices for non-household consumers in Europe in the first half of 2026, while Serbia recorded the highest price in the Western Balkans.
In the first half of 2026, the average price of electricity for non-household consumers in the European Union was 18 eurocents per kilowatt-hour, a 2% decrease from the second half of 2025, Eurostat said.
The price continued the downward trend observed over the previous year. Eighteen eurocents is 5.4% less than in the first half of 2025. The dataset covers average prices for non-household consumers with an annual consumption between 500 MWh and 2,000 MWh.
The highest electricity prices for non-household consumers in the first half of 2026 were observed in Ireland (27 eurocents per kilowatt-hour), Cyprus and Italy (both 23 eurocents). Looking at the first half of 2025, these three countries remained in the top three positions.
Finland (nine eurocents), Sweden (12 eurocents), Denmark, Spain and Portugal (13 eurocents each) recorded the lowest prices in the first half of 2026, according to the update.
Only Finland kept its ranking from the same period in 2025.
Serbia held the top position in the Western Balkans
With 15.28 eurocents per kilowatt-hour, Serbia held the top position in the Western Balkans in the first half of 2026, maintaining the ranking since the first half of 2025. Among the 38 European countries examined, it ranked 18th.
Serbia is followed by Albania (13.37 eurocents), Bosnia and Herzegovina (11.86), North Macedonia (11.83), and Montenegro (8.92).
As for other countries from the former Yugoslavia, the price in Croatia (16.10 eurocents) was above Serbia’s, while Slovenia (14.63) had a lower price.
Prices drop in 19 EU countries
In the first half of 2026, 19 EU countries registered a decrease in electricity prices for non-household consumers from the same period of 2025, indicating an overall downward trend, Eurostat stressed.
The highest decreases were registered in Luxembourg (-23.8%), Czechia (-11.9%) and Greece (-11.8%).
On the other hand, prices went up in eight countries, with the largest price increases recorded in Sweden (+18.8%), Finland (+18.7%) and Bulgaria (+14.2%), the update reads.
