European summers are getting brutally hot. Then why is air conditioning so rare?

The Climate Reality Check

Walking through Rome this summer, you'd be forgiven for thinking you've accidentally stepped into a furnace. The summer of 2024 was by far the warmest in Greece's meteorological history, registering average summer temperatures as high as 32.0°C, with Lindos recording the highest average summer temperature in Europe at 32.0°C.

But here's the twist – despite these scorching temperatures, you're more likely to find a unicorn than a properly air-conditioned café in many European cities. 2024 was the warmest year on record for Europe, with record-high numbers of extreme heat days and tropical nights, while the area experiencing days with temperatures below freezing is decreasing. The numbers don't lie: Southeastern Europe experienced 66 days of strong heat stress during the summer of 2024, meaning that perceived temperatures were 32°C or above.

Yet most Europeans continue to view air conditioning with the same enthusiasm they'd reserve for a root canal.

The Shocking Statistics That Tell the Real Story

Here's where things get interesting. Just one in 10 households in Europe has AC, far below the rates in China, Japan or the United States, where 90 per cent of households have a cooling system.

This isn't just a minor preference – it's a continental phenomenon that defies logic when you consider the heat Europeans are enduring. The number of air conditioning units in Europe has doubled since 1990, as the need for cooling buildings quadrupled, particularly in the north of the continent.

But doubling from almost nothing still leaves Europe dramatically behind the rest of the developed world. Air conditioning makes up just one per cent of building energy use in Europe, compared to 10 per cent in the United States.

The market is growing, though. Europe's air conditioner market was valued at USD 24.93 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 43.34 billion by 2033, registering a CAGR of 6.35%.

Still, this growth is happening from a remarkably low baseline compared to other wealthy regions.

When Death Meets Denial

The human cost of this air conditioning resistance is staggering. A staggering 175,000 people die from heat-related causes every year in Europe, with European countries seeing temperatures rise at around twice the global average.

These aren't just statistics – they're preventable tragedies happening while Europeans maintain their cultural stance against mechanical cooling. Soaring summer temperatures in Europe and Central Asia are killing nearly 400 children a year according to new analysis of the latest available data by UNICEF.

The irony is brutal: the continent that prides itself on social welfare and healthcare is watching its citizens suffer from heat-related deaths while rejecting the most obvious solution. According to the Carlos III Health Institute, there were 114 deaths attributable to high temperatures between 1 and 21 June in Spain alone.

This was just the beginning of summer 2025, yet the resistance to air conditioning persists across much of Europe.

The Great American Freeze-Out

Europeans love to mock American air conditioning habits, and honestly, they have a point. Europeans look with disdain at overcooled US buildings, kept to near meat-locker temperatures, where a blast of cold air can shoot across city sidewalks as people come and go.

American tourists often need sweaters in July because indoor temperatures can drop to arctic levels. Americans prefer an average temperature of 70 degrees, while Europeans would consider such temperatures as too cold.

Americans tend to keep their thermostats at the same temperature all year around, while Europeans tend to set their thermostats higher in summer and lower in winter. This cultural difference runs deeper than just comfort preferences – it's about fundamentally different approaches to climate control.

Every European who has visited the United States has a story about freezing in an air-conditioned shop or office. These experiences have created a lasting impression that air conditioning means uncomfortable, artificial environments that disconnect people from the natural world.

The Architecture of Resistance

Walk through any European city center, and you'll quickly understand why air conditioning isn't just a simple installation job. Many hotels occupy historic buildings where installing modern HVAC systems can be structurally challenging and often restricted by preservation laws.

These aren't just tourist attractions – they're living spaces where millions of Europeans work and reside. One key reason many older European buildings do without modern A/C systems is that historic architecture often incorporates natural cooling features.

Think thick stone walls, high ceilings, and strategic window placement designed to promote airflow. These features worked when summers were milder, but climate change is testing their limits.

UK authorities will often reject applications to install AC "on the basis of the visual appearance of the outdoor condenser unit, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings." The bureaucratic maze of permissions and restrictions makes installation a nightmare, even for those willing to invest in cooling systems.

The Green Guilt Complex

Environmental concerns play a massive role in European resistance to air conditioning. Air conditioning systems are known for their high energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, which is a concern for many Europeans who strive for more sustainable living practices and have a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

This isn't just virtue signaling – it's a genuine conflict between immediate comfort and long-term environmental responsibility. Europe has pledged to become "climate neutral" by 2050 and a sharp increase in air conditioners will make climate commitments even harder to reach.

Not only are air conditioners energy guzzlers, but they also push heat outside. A study looking at AC use in Paris found they could increase the outside temperature between about 2 and 4 degrees Celsius.

The irony is palpable: the very climate change that's making air conditioning necessary also makes Europeans reluctant to use it. For those proud of their country's steps towards sustainability, relying heavily on air conditioning feels like a setback.

Many Europeans see A/C as a last resort, preferring open windows, fans, or strategic ventilation over an energy-hungry system.

The Culture of Suffering

There's something almost masochistic about European attitudes toward summer heat. In many European countries, there's a cultural acceptance of weather fluctuations.

Winters can be cold, so they bundle up. Summers can be hot, so they adapt with lighter clothing and shutters.

This "grin and bear it" mentality runs deep in European culture. This cultural emphasis fosters a "we can handle it" outlook, encouraging acceptance of heat for a few weeks each year rather than resisting it.

The attitude is: the body adjusts, the routine shifts, life carries on. It's a kind of collective stoicism that Americans, with their climate-controlled everything, often find baffling.

Unlike some regions where air conditioning is seen as a necessity or a sign of modernity, the cultural perception of comfort and cooling in Europe differs. This difference isn't just about temperature preferences – it's about what constitutes a reasonable quality of life and how much technology should mediate our relationship with the natural world.

The Health Hysteria

Many Europeans genuinely believe air conditioning makes them sick. Another cultural factor is the European notion that constant A/C can cause colds, respiratory issues, or dryness.

This might stem from experiences with poorly maintained or overly frigid A/C units in some offices or malls. Whether this is medically accurate or not, the belief is widespread and influential.

When asked why French people resist AC, one explanation was: "It pollutes, it's often too cold, the air is fake. It makes you sick, and it gives you a headache.

It keeps you inside and it creates nonstop arguments with the team at work." These concerns reflect a broader European preference for "natural" solutions over technological ones. Some locals complain that forced cold air triggers sinus discomfort, temperature shock when entering a chilled office after walking in 90°F heat, and even headaches and "A/C cough" from extended exposure.

These health concerns, real or perceived, contribute to the resistance against mechanical cooling systems.

The Money Factor

Let's be honest – air conditioning is expensive in Europe. There's a 20 per cent tax on AC in France, compared to five per cent for a new heating system.

The government policies literally make cooling more expensive than heating, which seems backwards given the current climate trends. Higher energy costs and a focus on energy conservation lead some hotels to prioritize alternative cooling strategies over air conditioning.

In a 2021 poll of French adults, almost two in three respondents said they did not plan to buy an air conditioner, with the top two reasons cited being energy costs and environmental impacts. The economic burden extends beyond just purchase price.

European electricity rates are significantly higher than in many other regions, making the ongoing operational costs of air conditioning a genuine financial concern for many households.

The Neighborhood Wars

Installing air conditioning in European cities often means going to war with your neighbors. With the cooler indoor air come disputes as neighbours complain about noise from external units.

That means problems for Spain's real estate managers. The density of European cities means that one person's cooling solution becomes everyone else's noise problem.

Fighting with neighbours to install a new system that pumps hot air into the street? Fat chance.

The social dynamics of dense urban living create additional barriers to air conditioning adoption that don't exist in suburban American environments. "Some people can't open a window because they get a puff of fire," said Pablo Abascal, president of Spain's council of real estate managers.

"With the increase of AC systems in homes, many buildings will soon have nowhere to place the devices." The infrastructure simply wasn't designed for widespread air conditioning adoption.

The Future of European Cooling

The writing is on the wall, and it's written in sweat. As climate change drives more severe and prolonged heat waves, which arrive earlier and earlier, some are questioning why wealthy European countries have been seemingly reluctant to adopt air conditioning — especially as the heat takes an increasingly deadly toll.

With extreme temperatures came dangerous levels of heat stress, a growing threat to human health. In 2024, Europe experienced the second highest number of days with at least 'strong', 'very strong', or 'extreme heat stress'.

A staggering 66 days of at least 'strong heat stress' were registered during summer—more than double the average. As one expert noted, "Our homes need to be resilient not just to the cold, but to the increasingly brutal heat." The question isn't whether Europeans will adopt air conditioning – it's how quickly they can overcome their cultural resistance before more lives are lost to preventable heat-related deaths.

The European approach to air conditioning reveals a fascinating collision between tradition and necessity, environmental consciousness and human survival. While Americans blast their AC units without a second thought, Europeans are locked in an ideological battle with the very technology that could save their lives.

As summers get hotter and deadlier, this resistance is becoming less about cultural preference and more about a dangerous form of climate denial. The real question isn't why Europeans resist air conditioning – it's how long they can afford to keep resisting it.

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