Ireland, Italy, and Germany had some of the highest household electricity prices worldwide, as of March 2025. At the time, Irish households were charged around 0.45 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour, while in Italy, the price stood at 0.43 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour. By comparison, in Russia, residents paid almost 10 times less. What is behind electricity prices? Electricity prices vary widely across the world and sometimes even within a country itself, depending on factors like infrastructure, geography, and politically determined taxes and levies. For example, in Denmark, Belgium, and Sweden, taxes constitute a significant portion of residential end-user electricity prices. Reliance on fossil fuel imports Meanwhile, thanks to their great crude oil and natural gas production output, countries like Iran, Qatar, and Russia enjoy some of the cheapest electricity prices in the world. Here, the average household pays less than 0.1 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour. In contrast, countries heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports for electricity generation are more vulnerable to market price fluctuations.

Industrial consumers of electricity in the United States paid an average of 8.15 U.S. dollar cents per kilowatt-hour in 2024. This was an increase compared to the previous year, when prices peaked at 8.3 U.S. dollar cents per kilowatt-hour. Prices are forecast to increase further to 8.32 U.S. dollar cents per kilowatt-hour by the end of 2025.

Chile accounted for the highest electricity price for industries in Central and Southern America, at 155 U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour in January 2025. By comparison, the industrial electricity price in Paraguay amounted to 36 U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour that month.

This dataset provides values for ELECTRICITY PRICE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Household electricity prices vary greatly across the world. In 2023, the price of electricity was below 0.1 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour in countries which rely on nationally produced fossil fuels for electricity generation, while it exceeded 0.4 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour where the power sector is dependent on energy imports. The European countries of Italy and Germany saw their residential electricity prices surpass 0.55 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour during the 2022 energy crisis.

Graph and download economic data for Global price of Energy index (PNRGINDEXM) from Jan 1992 to May 2025 about energy, World, indexes, and price.

Middle Eastern and African countries had the cheapest electricity prices worldwide in December 2023. Namely, the electricity price for Iran's households was only 0.2 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity. Ethiopia, Syria, Cuba, and Sudan also had some of the lowest electricity prices worldwide that month.

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of Electricity in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East Africa).

Germany, Belgium, and Ireland had some of the highest household electricity prices worldwide, as of June 2024. At the time, German households were charged around 0.39 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour, while in Belgium, the price stood at 0.37 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour. By comparison, in Qatar, residents paid more than 10 times less. What is behind electricity prices? Electricity prices vary widely across the world and sometimes even within a country itself, depending on factors like infrastructure, geography, and politically determined taxes and levies. For example, in Denmark, Belgium, and Sweden, taxes constitute a significant portion of residential end-user electricity prices. Reliance on fossil fuel imports Meanwhile, thanks to their great crude oil and natural gas production output, countries like Iran, Qatar, and Russia enjoy some of the cheapest electricity prices in the world. Here, the average household pays less than 0.1 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour. In contrast, countries heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports for electricity generation are more vulnerable to market price fluctuations. The top importers of natural gas in Europe in 2023 were Germany and Italy, where this energy source constitutes a relevant share of the power mix.

This dataset provides values for ELECTRICITY PRICE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Abstract

Energy price inflation is an important metric to inform economic policy but traditional sources of consumer prices are often produced with delay during crises and only at an aggregate level. This may poorly reflect the actual price trends in rural or poverty-stricken areas, where large populations reside in fragile situations. This data set includes energy price estimates and is intended to help gain insight in price developments beyond what can be formally measured by traditional methods. The estimates are generated using a machine-learning approach that imputes ongoing subnational price surveys, often with accuracy similar to direct measurement of prices. The data set provides new opportunities to investigate local price dynamics in areas where populations are sensitive to localized price shocks and where traditional data are not available.

Geographic coverage notes

The data cover the following sub-national areas: Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Paktya, Ghazni, Ghor, Hilmand, Hirat, Nangarhar, Jawzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Wardak, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Panjsher, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e-pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Market Average, Armavir, Ararat, Aragatsotn, Tavush, Gegharkunik, Shirak, Kotayk, Syunik, Lori, Vayotz Dzor, Yerevan, Kanifing Municipal Council, Central River, Upper River, West Coast, North Bank, Lower River, Bafata, Tombali, Cacheu, Sector Autonomo De Bissau, Biombo, Oio, Gabu, Bolama, Quinara, Anbar, Babil, Baghdad, Basrah, Diyala, Dahuk, Erbil, Ninewa, Kerbala, Kirkuk, Missan, Muthanna, Najaf, Qadissiya, Salah al-Din, Sulaymaniyah, Thi-Qar, Wassit, Attapeu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasack, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangphabang, Louangnamtha, Oudomxai, Phongsaly, Salavan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane Capital, Vientiane, Xaignabouly, Xiengkhouang, Akkar, Mount Lebanon, Baalbek-El Hermel, North, Beirut, Bekaa, El Nabatieh, South, Nimba, Grand Kru, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Montserrado, River Gee, Lofa, Bomi, Bong, Sinoe, Maryland, Margibi, Grand Gedeh, Abia, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Oyo, Sokoto, Zamfara, Lagos, Adamawa, Shabelle Hoose, Juba Hoose, Bay, Banadir, Shabelle Dhexe, Gedo, Hiraan, Woqooyi Galbeed, Awdal, Bari, Juba Dhexe, Togdheer, Nugaal, Galgaduud, Bakool, Sanaag, Mudug, Sool, , Warrap, Unity, Jonglei, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, Central Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Lakes, Aleppo, Dar'a, Quneitra, Homs, Deir-ez-Zor, Damascus, Ar-Raqqa, Al-Hasakeh, Hama, As-Sweida, Rural Damascus, Tartous, Idleb, Lattakia, Al Dhale'e, Aden, Al Bayda, Al Maharah, Lahj, Al Jawf, Raymah, Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, Amran, Shabwah, Dhamar, Ibb, Sana'a, Al Mahwit, Marib, Hadramaut, Sa'ada, Amanat Al Asimah, Socotra, Taizz, Abyan

In September 2024, industrial electricity prices in the European countries of Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom were among the highest in the world, at around **** U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour. Singapore was the Asian country with the highest electricity bill worldwide at that time. Lowest electricity prices in the world The average retail electricity price in the United States was considerably lower than in most of Europe. Iceland was the European country with one of the lowest electricity bills for enterprises that month. At the bottom of the ranking were also Russia, Iraq, Qatar, Argentina, and Libya. In these countries, commercial electricity prices amounted to less than *** U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour. Household electricity prices In addition, European countries had the highest household electricity prices worldwide that month, with Italy at the top of the ranking. By comparison, Iran and Ethiopia had the lowest residential electricity prices in the world.

Table comparing electricity prices per kWh and their annual changes in France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, highlighting the variations across European countries. Source: Eurostat.

In 2023, the United Kingdom had the highest industry electricity price worldwide, reaching 25.46 pence per kilowatt-hour. By comparison, the Norway had the lowest price among the listed countries, at 5.31 pence per kilowatt-hour.

In 2024, the retail price of electricity for residential customers in the United States averaged 16.48 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Households are charged more than the commercial and industrial sectors, because of the higher distribution costs. Since 2020, electricity customers have seen electricity prices increase in the U.S. and peak in 2024. The U.S. electricity market The U.S. electricity market is led by several types of electricity providers, such as cooperatives, municipal systems, and shareholder-owned electric utilities. In 2022, cooperatives were the most common type of ownership in the U.S., with more than 600 providers. That year, the U.S. electric utility industry revenue amounted to 488 billion U.S. dollars. Electricity prices around the world Electricity prices vary widely from country to country, depending on energy sources used, as well as government and industry subsidies and regulations. In 2023, Ireland and the United Kingdom had some of the highest household electricity prices worldwide. Meanwhile, U.S. households paid some of the lowest prices. However, leading oil and gas-producing regions such as the Middle East registered the cheapest rates overall.

Global electricity prices for households averaged some ** U.S. cents per kilowatt hour as of 2016. Europe and North America had the highest average prices, while households in sub-Saharan Africa paid the least for electricity. Germany has one of the highest electricity prices in the world at about ** U.S. cents per kilowatt hour; in comparison, the price of electricity in the United States averaged 13 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour. As Germany transitions from fossil fuels to renewable sources through the country’s Renewable Electricity Energy Sources Act (EEG or Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz), electricity prices have increased via taxes and levies on commercial and residential consumers. Prices are very different across the world and can also vary within municipalities in many countries.

Determining electricity rates Electricity prices (also called electricity tariffs) depend on a variety of factors such as price of primary power generation sources, government taxes, and grid infrastructure. A large portion of electricity prices are based on wholesale electricity costs. Tariffs will also differ based on customer groups, usually categorized by residential, commercial, and industrial customers. For example, prices for industrial customers tend to be very close to the wholesale price of electricity as they tend to consume more power at higher voltages which is more efficient, and thus, cheaper. Customers tend to be differentiated by load size and usage profiles – how much the customer contributes to the peak load is also important in determining rate class.

In most European cities, energy prices constituted the main share of the residential end-user electricity price in February 2024. Energy price shares are among the highest in the capital cities of Cyprus, Malta, and Ireland, which are largely reliant on energy imports. Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Brussels account for the largest share of energy taxes in the region. In the Danish capital, for instance, energy taxes -including VAT- represented 47 percent of the residential electricity price. Household electricity prices around the world Italy and Germany have some of the highest electricity prices in the world. Heavily reliant on natural gas imports, these two countries were profoundly stricken by the 2022 energy crisis. Overall, Western Europe is the most expensive region for household power purchases, while many large energy producing countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia offer their residents the cheapest average rates. Heating gas prices in European cities In terms of residential use gas prices in Europe, Stockholm was the most expensive city in January 2024. Inhabitants of Sweden's capital paid for gas nearly 40 percent more than consumers in Bern, Switzerland, which ranked second. Imports dominate Sweden's gas supply.

Comparison of average electricity prices for residential and industrial use in various countries