Euro price base: 2021. Based on air pollution from the 10,000 largest facilities in Europe.
Supplementary notes
Value of a life year (VOLY): an estimate of damage costs based on the potential years of life lost (YOLL) from a specific risk, based on an estimated life expectancy, and then evaluated by multiplying them by the VOLY. Therefore, the result is affected by the age at which deaths occur.
The geographical scope of the industrial facilities included in the assessment focuses only on the EU-27. However, the impact of the EU facilities is still calculated for countries beyond the EU-27, (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, and Turkey). This means that the analysis now strongly focuses on the impacts of the EU’s industry on the EU and neighboring countries.
Citation formats
External costs of industrial air pollution in the European Union 2012-2021, by sector
The annual cost of air pollution from the largest industrial plants in the European Union (EU-27) averaged roughly *** billion euros per year from 2012 to 2021, based on the VOLY method. Although the energy sector has consistently represented roughly ** percent of these costs per year, economic damages linked to energy production have fallen by ** percent since 2012. This is due to energy sector emissions decreasing at a faster rate when compared to other sectors during this period. These reductions account for roughly ** percent of the decrease of total external costs since 2012.
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EEA. (January 25, 2024). Economic costs of air pollution from the largest industrial plants in the European Union (EU-27) from 2012 to 2021, by sector (in million euros) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 27, 2026, from /statistics/1455583/eu-economic-damages-industrial-air-pollution-by-sector/
EEA. "Economic costs of air pollution from the largest industrial plants in the European Union (EU-27) from 2012 to 2021, by sector (in million euros)." Chart. January 25, 2024. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 27, 2026. /statistics/1455583/eu-economic-damages-industrial-air-pollution-by-sector/
EEA. (2024). Economic costs of air pollution from the largest industrial plants in the European Union (EU-27) from 2012 to 2021, by sector (in million euros). ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 27, 2026. /statistics/1455583/eu-economic-damages-industrial-air-pollution-by-sector/
EEA. "Economic Costs of Air Pollution from The Largest Industrial Plants in The European Union (Eu-27) from 2012 to 2021, by Sector (in Million Euros)." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 25 Jan 2024, /statistics/1455583/eu-economic-damages-industrial-air-pollution-by-sector/
EEA, Economic costs of air pollution from the largest industrial plants in the European Union (EU-27) from 2012 to 2021, by sector (in million euros) ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1455583/eu-economic-damages-industrial-air-pollution-by-sector/ (last visited July 27, 2026)
Economic costs of air pollution from the largest industrial plants in the European Union (EU-27) from 2012 to 2021, by sector (in million euros) [Graph], EEA, January 25, 2024. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1455583/eu-economic-damages-industrial-air-pollution-by-sector/
