Ranked: Which European Sectors Need the Most Investment?

Published

3 mins ago

July 25, 2025

| 4 views

-->

Julia Wendling

Graphics & Design

Jennifer West

The following content is sponsored by Global X

Ranked: Which European Sectors Need the Most Investment?

Europe’s infrastructure is under pressure—but not all sectors are being hit equally.

This graphic, created in partnership with Global X, visualizes which areas of the economy require the most investment to close Europe’s widening infrastructure gap, based on data from Infrastructure Outlook.

The $2 Trillion European Infrastructure Gap

Part 2 of this series highlighted that Europe could face a $2 trillion infrastructure shortfall by 2040—up from about $538 billion in 2024.

However, while every sector needs attention, some are in far more urgent need of funding. Which ones have the largest shortfalls?

A Sectoral Look at the Deficit

The top two sectors with the largest investment deficits fall under the transportation umbrella. Roads face the largest gap at an estimated $881 billion, followed by railways at $603 billion.

Energy ranks third with a $250 billion deficit. Investment in this sector is critical for meeting the EU’s 2050 net-zero goals through investment in green technologies.

Sector	Cumulative Infrastructure Gap ($ billions)
Road	881
Rail	603
Energy	250
Ports	121
Airports	81
Telecommunications	46
Water	9

Other key gaps include ports ($121 billion), airports ($81 billion), and telecommunications ($46 billion). The latter sector is crucial to meet the EU’s goals to digitize its economy across sectors in the post-pandemic recovery era. Water infrastructure has an estimated shortfall of $9 billion by 2040.

A Global Look at Infrastructure Needs

Globally, roads also lead the investment gap, with a projected $8.0 trillion shortfall by 2040. That’s followed by:

Energy: $2.9 trillion
Rail: $1.1 trillion
Telecommunications: $1.0 trillion
Water: $713 billion
Ports: $555 billion
Airports: $530 billion

Overall, Infrastructure Outlook expects the global infrastructure investment gap to reach $15 trillion by 2040.

Supporting Long-Term Growth

Europe’s transport and energy systems are showing the deepest cracks—underscoring the urgent need for long-term, strategic investment to support economic resilience and sustainable growth.

Learn more about the Global X European Infrastructure Development UCITS ETF (BRIJ).

Charted: U.S. Home Listings Are Rising Across States Guest
Ranked: Which Areas Receive the Most Pharma R&D? Guest
The World’s 50 Most Valuable Private Companies in 2025 Guest
The $5.6T Pharmaceutical Industry in One Chart Guest
History’s Biggest Companies vs. The Magnificent Seven Guest
What Did Economic Growth Mean for U.S. Households? Guest
A Critical Look at Tesla’s Valuation Guest
Ranked: The Industries Leveraging AI the Most Guest
The Best Visualizations of July 2025 on the Voronoi App Guest
Where Does Palantir’s Revenue Come From? Guest

You are here

Ranked: Which European Sectors Need the Most Investment?