2023: Europe’s year explained in charts and data

Whilst the cost of living crisis showed signs of abating in 2023 as inflation figures cooled, economies considered amongst Europe’s most resilient came under immense pressure due to the impact of inflation on consumer spending.

2023 also saw far-right parties make small but solid gains across the continent, building momentum ahead of the 2024 European elections.

July, the hottest year on record, brought with it extreme wildfires to southern Europe. The bloc has since started to increase its aerial firefighting fleet in preparation for increasingly scorching summers.

Euronews takes a look at Europe’s year in 2023 through data.

Cost of living crisis cooled

After prices sky-rocketed in 2022 amid the energy crisis brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 2023 saw inflation cool across the continent.

Whilst the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia continued to grapple with high consumer prices until the year’s end, inflation across the bloc’s 27 member states fell three-fold from an average 9.9% in February to 3.1% in November.

The drop was driven by a particularly steep decrease in the cost of energy, which fell 11.5% year-on-year in the euro area in November 2023, the biggest decline since 2020.

A consistent decrease in food prices also brought some respite to consumers, after the surge in the prices of household staples in 2022.

Economies came under pressure

But stubbornly high inflation throughout 2022 and early 2023 took its toll on Europe’s economies, with tightened belts curbing consumption and investments.

The 19-country euro area entered a technical recession in June after two consecutive quarters of decline, driven by soaring energy prices. It continued to contract in the third quarter, while the European Union’s economy stagnated.

The downturn was driven by disappointing economic performance in Europe’s industrial powerhouse, Germany. According to its government’s estimations, Germany’s economy is expected to shrink by 0.4% in 2023, while the EU executive foresees a slightly smaller contraction of 0.3%.

Far-right slowly gained ground

2023 saw Europe’s far-right make small but solid gains, gaining momentum that could translate into electoral success in key elections taking place in 2024.

Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a historic local election victory in the in the central state of Thuringia in June and its first mayoral election in a city in December.

Geert Wilders caught many in Europe off guard when he snatched a surprise electoral victory in November’s Dutch election, leaving him in pole position in ongoing coalition government talks.

With support on the rise in countries such as France and Austria, far-right parties could be eyeing important gains in next June’s European elections.

Europe boiled

July was the hottest month the world has ever seen, pushing the average global sea temperature up to a new record of 20.98ºC. 

Spain saw sea temperatures reach a scorching 31.21ºC in Dragonera, the Balearic islands.

With the scorching heat came devastating wildfires. The largest wildfire ever recorded in the EU raged in north-eastern Greece in August, as the EU mobilised half of its aerial firefighting fleet to contain the blaze.