European AC Sales Surge 108% in 2026 as Record Heatwaves Push Temperatures Above 100F
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jul 26
European AC Sales Surge 108% in 2026 as Record Heatwaves Push Temperatures Above 100F
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jul 26
Summary
Midea shipments to Spain and France jumped 108% from a year earlier, while Samsung reported double-digit first-half sales growth across Europe and LG said a South Korean factory has run at full capacity since April.
Western Europe logged its hottest June on record, and another heat wave has pushed temperatures above 100F in parts of the continent, turning air conditioning from a niche purchase into a broader consumer need.
Eurovent said the shift looks structural, not temporary, citing European Commission modeling that EU room air conditioners rose from under 7 million in 1990 to about 57 million in 2020 and could top 100 million by 2030.
Heat's public-health toll is rising alongside demand: EuroMOMO estimated excess deaths across Europe climbed from about 33,000 in mid-June to more than 45,000 by early July, while researchers linked 2,183 deaths in England and Wales to the late-June heat wave.
Adoption still trails the US because Europe has older housing, higher power costs and cultural resistance; only about one in five European households has AC, versus roughly nine in ten in the United States.