MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Europe’s imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached a historic high in 2025 and are expected to set a new record in 2026, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on the gas market.

LNG imports into Europe rose by 30% (or 40 billion cubic meters) and reached a record level of more than 175 billion cubic meters in 2025. Higher domestic demand, along with lower pipeline gas imports and increased injections into storage from April through October, kept LNG prices in Europe higher than in key Asian markets. This, in turn, stimulated additional flexible LNG supplies to Europe, the report said.

LNG’s share in Europe’s gas balance increased to 38% in 2025, up from 30% a year earlier.

The IEA expects Europe’s LNG imports to continue rising in 2026, reaching a new record level of more than 185 billion cubic meters. These volumes will be driven by higher storage fill requirements and increased gas exports from Europe to Ukraine.

Supplies of Norwegian pipeline gas to Europe are expected to recover this year to nearly their 2024 level, while imports from North Africa and Azerbaijan are forecast to rise slightly, the report noted. At the same time, this growth will be partially offset by a reduction in pipeline imports from Russia and Iran.