In 2024, €5.5 billion was collected in environment-related taxes. This was an increase of 11% on 2023 and the highest amount collected between 2015 and 2024.
Most environment taxes were taxes on energy products, such as heating and transport fuels. Energy taxes accounted for 63.5% of all environment taxes, or €3.5 billion, in 2024.
Transport taxes (including motor tax and vehicle registration tax) accounted for 36% of all environment-related taxes in 2024.
Pollution and resource taxes, such as the plastic bag levy, made up 0.5% of environment-related taxes in 2024.
Environment-related taxes were 4.3% of total taxes in 2024. The share of environment taxes in total tax revenue was down from 7.9% in 2015.
Households paid the largest share of environment taxes in 2024 at 61% of the total, or €3.4 billion.
An environment tax is defined by Regulation (EU) 691/2011 as "a tax whose tax base is a physical unit (or a proxy of a physical unit) of something that has a proven, specific negative impact on the environment, and which is identified in the European System of Accounts as a tax."
Figure 1 and Table 1 show that environment tax revenue was highest of the time period 2015-2024 in 2024 at €5.5 billion, although the share of environment taxes in total tax revenue fell from 7.9% in 2015 to 4.3% in 2024.
Energy taxes made up the largest proportion of environment taxes each year between 2015 and 2024, contributing 63.5% of the total in 2024. Transport taxes made up the next largest share each year and were 36% of the total in 2024. Pollution and resource taxes, such as the plastic bag levy, accounted for the remaining 0.5% in 2024.
| X-axis label | Energy | Transport | Pollution and Resource | Share of total tax revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3.043 | 1.887 | 0.047 | 7.9 |
| 2016 | 3.135 | 1.924 | 0.058 | 7.7 |
| 2017 | 3.258 | 1.929 | 0.046 | 7.5 |
| 2018 | 3.176 | 1.917 | 0.026 | 6.8 |
| 2019 | 3.04 | 1.987 | 0.019 | 6.2 |
| 2020 | 2.78617 | 1.70816 | 0.01109 | 5.8 |
| 2021 | 3.23175 | 1.73718 | 0.01336 | 5.3 |
| 2022 | 2.64776 | 1.76167 | 0.01847 | 4 |
| 2023 | 3.0302 | 1.89221 | 0.0094 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 3.47156 | 1.96506 | 0.02968 | 4.3 |
Households paid the largest sector share of environment taxes each year between 2015 and 2024, paying 61% of the total or an estimated €3.4 billion in 2024. The Services sector paid €1.4 billion in environment taxes in 2024, or 25% of the total, while the Industry sector paid €0.6 billion, or an 11% share. The share of environment taxes levied on the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector in 2024 was 2% (See Figure 2 and Tables 2-5).
| X-axis label | Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | Industry | Services | Households | Non-residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 0.059 | 0.303 | 1.221 | 3.2346368162123 | 0.1593631837877 |
| 2016 | 0.061 | 0.308 | 1.311 | 3.294029161485 | 0.143970838515 |
| 2017 | 0.067 | 0.34 | 1.374 | 3.369920382856 | 0.082079617144 |
| 2018 | 0.071 | 0.352 | 1.355 | 3.256147356134 | 0.084852643866 |
| 2019 | 0.064 | 0.328 | 1.239 | 3.30898037 | 0.10601963 |
| 2020 | 0.06673 | 0.47042 | 1.06002 | 2.85956 | 0.0487 |
| 2021 | 0.0782 | 0.57494 | 1.1881 | 3.05542 | 0.08563 |
| 2022 | 0.06982 | 0.42539 | 1.11019 | 2.75212 | 0.07039 |
| 2023 | 0.07424 | 0.68028 | 1.14852 | 2.96131 | 0.06746 |
| 2024 | 0.09665 | 0.57694 | 1.35524 | 3.3571 | 0.08036 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (30 September 2025) published Environment Taxes 2024.
Commenting on the release Clare O'Hara, Statistician in the Environment Division, said: "Environment taxes rose by 11% to €5.5 billion in 2024. This was the highest amount of environment-related tax revenue collected between 2015 and 2024, the time period covered in this release. Environment taxes also went up by 11% in 2023. This followed an 11% drop in 2022, when environment taxes were €4.4 billion, the lowest value between 2015 and 2024. The decrease in 2022 was due to a temporary reduction in excise duty on fuels introduced in April 2022 due to rising energy costs. The rise in environment taxes in 2024 resulted mainly from a recovery in excise receipts as the temporary reduction ended, and higher carbon tax receipts as the carbon tax rate increased.
As a percentage of total taxes, environment taxes were 4.3% in 2024, down from 7.9% in 2015.
Energy Taxes
Energy taxes in 2024 were €3.5 billion, an increase of 15% on 2023. Excise duty on hydrocarbon oils such as petrol, road diesel, and marked gas oil was the main source of revenue, accounting for €2 billion or 57% of energy tax receipts. Carbon tax made the next largest contribution at 31%. Carbon tax receipts rose by 16% to €1.1 billion in 2024.
Transport and Pollution Taxes
Transport taxes grew by 4% to €2 billion in 2024, with the two main taxes being vehicle registration tax (49%) and motor tax (48%).
Pollution and resource taxes, such as the plastic bag levy, were €30 million in 2024, up from the 2023 figure of €9 million.
Economic Sector of Taxpayers
Households paid the largest share of environment taxes in 2024, at 61%, or an estimated €3.4 billion. The Services sector paid €1.4 billion in environment taxes in 2024, or 25% of the total, while the Industry sector paid €0.6 billion, or 11% of all environment taxes. The share of environment taxes levied on the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector was 2%, or €0.1 billion."