EU-27 · November 2026

How much of Europe runs on Europe?

Sovereignty is not about building fences or leaving the world stage. It is about Europe being able to act on its own values and interests. That requires agency and control over its most critical systems: defense, energy, technology, the economy and information.

This index assesses Europe’s ability to supply critical needs and limit dependence on others across these five areas.

out of 100

Why it matters

2021

A chip shortage stalled car production across Europe.

2022

Cuts to Russian gas sent energy prices to record highs.

15%

Share of Europe's cloud market held by European providers.

Five areas

Each square is one point out of 100

Next to the US and China

Overall independence

Average of the available areas
By area
EUUSChina
Each is measured with different data. Read with care.*No comparable data for China on Information sovereignty.Compare area by area →
First edition · 10 Nov 2026Eurostat · European Commission · EDA · IFPI · Reuters Institute · SIPRI
← Index

EU · US · China

The same five areas, scored for three economies. Where Europe's data has no equivalent, the US and China use the closest available measure.

European Union

Five areas

United States

Five areas

China

No comparable data for China on Information sovereignty. Overall covers four areas.

Compare the five areas

EUUSChina

Open an area to see the figures behind each score and how the measures differ. Read the comparison caveats →

Research snapshot · 10 Nov 2026Download the figures and sources ↗
← Index

Method

How the scores are built, and where they fall short.

The score

Five areas, equal weight

Each area is a fifth of the total.

Independence, not targets

The independence score combines evidence of domestic supply and resilience to foreign dependence. It does not measure progress towards policy targets.

Parts count equally

Where an area has several parts, we average them before rounding. Each area page shows the parts and the figures behind them.

A reading, not a percentage

The overall number is an index score, not the percentage of Europe that is sovereign. Higher scores mean greater independence on the measures used.

Keep in mind

Years differ

The evidence covers different years and samples. Each measure states its period.

Some choices are ours

Economy converts trade vulnerability with a logarithmic scale and a 0.10 reference. That is a trial scoring choice, not a policy target.

Media has four parts

Information averages four shares: cinema and TV, music, news and social media.

Samples, not everything

Several measures rely on samples: major orders, top charts, leading news brands. Small score differences should not be overread.

US & China

Different measures

Where EU data has no equivalent, the US and China use the closest proxy. Defense, for example, uses arms-trade balance from SIPRI. Energy scores net imports only.

China covers four areas

No comparable data for China on Information sovereignty. Its total averages four areas; Information is excluded, not scored as zero.

Limitations by area

First edition · 10 Nov 2026Media evidence and country coding ↗