Europe is sweltering. Across France, Spain, Italy, and other parts of Western Europe, temperatures have surged past 100 degrees Fahrenheit during a brutal early-summer heat wave. For many Americans, those numbers don’t sound especially remarkable; large swaths of the United States endure similar temperatures every year. The difference is that much of Europe still lacks widespread air conditioning.
But why is that? Last year, Tyler Cowen explored this question while revisiting a belief he had held since his youth: that Western Europeans enjoyed living standards roughly comparable to those of Americans. After decades of travel and observation, he concluded that the gap had widened dramatically—and that Europe’s resistance to many of the conveniences Americans take for granted is one reason why. As the heat intensifies and panic spreads, read his column for the economic story behind Europe’s air-conditioning gap—and why the continent is increasingly a model “for its history—not for its living standards.” — The Editors, June 24, 2026
I was shocked recently to learn that more Europeans die of heat death—largely due to lack of air-conditioning—than Americans die from gunshot wounds.
I’m not saying America isn’t more dangerous in certain ways: We have higher non-gun murder rates and perilous weather patterns, among other problems. But it turns out European bureaucracy is literally deadly.
Case in point: the situation with air-conditioning on the continent.
European governments do a great deal to discourage air-conditioning, whether central AC or window units. You might need a hard-to-get permit to install an AC unit, and in Geneva you have to show a medical need for it. Or in many regions of Europe, the air conditioner might violate heritage preservation laws, or be illegal altogether. In Portofino, Italy, neighbors have been known to turn each other in for having illegal air-conditioning units. The fines can range up to €43,000, though most cases are settled out of court by a removal of the unit.
