Global fossil fuel subsidies hit a record total of $7tn in 2022 as governments rushed to
shield consumers from soaring energy prices sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,
the IMF estimates.
The IMF study said subsidies for coal, oil and natural gas in 2022 were equivalent to
7.1 per cent of global gross domestic product. This represented more than
governments spent on education, and two-thirds of what was spent on healthcare.
The elevated figure produced by the IMF includes so-called implicit subsidies, which
are the result of governments undercharging for the environmental costs incurred by
burning fossil fuels. These costs include air pollution and global warming, the IMF
said.

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