Compact guides

Basic figures on the EU

Spring 2012

Eurostat publishes official, harmonised statistics on the European

Union (EU) and the euro area which offer an objective portrayal
of social and economic trends. These statistics are available for
EU Member States, and are sometimes broken down by region.
Furthermore, some of the indicators are published for candidate
countries and other non-member countries.
Eurostat collects data from national statistical institutes;
the statistics are harmonised according to Europe-wide
methodologies. Data are, therefore, genuinely comparable
across the whole of the EU.
Website
Eurostats website: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat provides free
access to EU statistics, and is also available in German and French.
Statistics Explained is a wiki-based system that presents statistical
topics in an easy to understand way. Together, the articles make up
an encyclopaedia of European statistics and can be accessed at:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained. There one
can also access continuously updated virtual publications
Eurostat yearbook and Regional yearbook.
Eurostat releases a range of publications, all of
which are free of charge on its website in PDF
format; some of these are also available in German
and French. Among these, the pocketbook Key
figures on Europe 2011 edition provides a
comprehensive set of information introducing
readers to most statistical themes that are covered
by Eurostat.
Contact details:
Eurostat
Statistical office of the European Union
5, rue Alphonse Weicker
2721 Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG
E-mail: estat-user-support@ec.europa.eu
More information: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
ISSN 1831-9556
European Union 2012
Cover: Phovoir

KS-GL-12-001-EN-C

Eurostat, the statistical office

of the European Union

General information
Coverage
The tables show information for the EU, the euro area, the EU
Member States and three EFTA countries. The euro area (EA-17) is
composed of: Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain,
France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria,
Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland. The EU (EU-27) includes
the EA-17 countries and also: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United
Kingdom. The three EFTA countries covered are: Iceland, Norway
and Switzerland.
The information presented in this short guide is generally based
on fixed EU and euro area aggregates for 27 and 17 Member States
respectively however, the data for inflation is based on moving
aggregates that reflect the membership of the EU and euro area over
time. Quarterly growth rates are expressed in relation to the previous
quarter. Quarterly rates are generally calculated using seasonally
adjusted data, although rates for the public balance, government debt
and long-term unemployment are based on non seasonally adjusted
data. Furthermore, annual rates of change for inflation are also based
on non seasonally adjusted data.
Symbols and abbreviations
: not available
Figures in italics are estimates, provisional or forecasts
Extraction date
Data were extracted on: 31 January 2012
The next edition (extraction planned: 30 April 2012) will be issued in
May 2012.
The most recent data is available at
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/
portal/page/portal/statistics/search_database
Data codes
The Eurostat online data code, which is given at the bottom of each
column of data in the tables and as part of the source for figures,
provides users with a quick and efficient way of accessing the most upto-date statistics. When used through the search facility of Eurostats
website, each data code directs users to the corresponding dataset
offering the freshest data and longer time-series.

Europe 2020 strategy indicators, EU-27

Principal European economic indicators

Education

Climate change /
energy

R&D

Employment

2008 2009

Target
75

Employment rate, aged 20-64

(% of population)

70.3

69.0

68.6

- women

62.8

62.3

62.1

- men

77.9

75.8

75.1

Gross domestic
expenditure on R&D
(% of GDP)

1.9

2.0

2.0

Greenhouse gas
emissions (1990=100)

89

83

80

Renewables share of final

energy consumption (%)
Energy intensity
(kgoe/(EUR 1 000 of GDP))

10.5

20

167.4 165.2

(1)
10

14.4

14.1

- women

12.9

12.5

12.2

- men

16.9

16.3

16.0

Tertiary education
attainment, aged 30-34 (%)

31.1

32.3

33.6

- women

34.3

35.7

37.2

- men

28.0

28.9

30.0

115.7 113.7

People at-risk-of poverty

or exclusion (%)
- with very low
work intensity (%)
- after social
transfers (%)
- severely materially
deprived (%)

115.5

2.5

-2.5

14.9

GDP, quarterly growth rate (%)

0.0

11.7

Early leavers from

education & training (%)

People at-risk-ofpoverty
or exclusion (million)
Poverty /
social exclusion

2010

Inflation, annual rate of change, EU (%)

40

-5.0
Q1-2003

Q1-2005
EU-27

Q1-2007
Japan

Q1-2009
Q1-2011
United States

Labour cost index, quarterly growth rate (%)

EU-27

Q1-2007
Q1-2009
Euro area (EA-17)

Q1-2011

Trade of goods and services, quarterly growth rate, EU-27 (%)

10

23.6

23.1

23.4

9.0

9.0

9.9

16.4

16.3

16.4

8.4

8.1

8.1

-5

(1) Proxy indicator: target is to increase energy efficiency by 20 %.

Source: Eurostat (http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/europe_2020_indicators/headline_indicators)

-10
Q1-2003

Q1-2005
Q1-2007
Exports of goods
Exports of services

Source: Eurostat (online data code: namq_exi_k)

10

12

Dec. 2011 (2)

Inflation, annual rate of change, all-items indices,

December 2011 (%)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: lc_lci_r2_q)

20
mil.
less

Dec. 2010

-1

Q1-2005

(1) Estimate for December 2010. (2) Provisional.

Source: Eurostat (online data code: prc_hicp_manr)

Source: Eurostat (online data code: namq_gdp_k)

2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
-0.5
Q1-2003

-2
All-items
1
Energy ( )
Housing
Transport
Alcoholicbev.&tobacco
Food&non-alcoholicbev.
Health
Restaurants & hotels
Education
Householdequipment
Clothing & footwear
Recreation & culture
Communications
Miscellaneous

Q1-2009
Q1-2011
Imports of goods
Imports of services

EU (1)
Euro area (1)
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Germany
Estonia
Ireland
Greece
Spain
France
Italy
Cyprus
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Hungary
Malta (1)
Netherlands (1)
Austria (1)
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovenia
Slovakia
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom (2)
Iceland
Norway
Switzerland
(1) Provisional. (2) November 2011.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: prc_hicp_manr)

Economy, public finance

GDP in current prices

EU-27
Euro area (EA-17)
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Germany
Estonia
Ireland
Greece
Spain
France
Italy
Cyprus
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Hungary
Malta
Netherlands
Austria
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovenia
Slovakia
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom
Iceland
Norway
Switzerland
Online data code:
Source: Eurostat

(EUR /
(EUR1000
inhabitant)
million)
2010
24 400
12 256
27 600
9 161
32 600
354
4 800
36
14 200
149
42 500
236
30 300
2 477
10 700
14
34 900
156
20 100
227
22 800
1 051
29 800
1 933
25 700
1 556
21 600
17
8 000
18
8 400
28
79 500
40
9 700
97
14 800
6
35 400
588
34 100
286
9 300
354
16 200
173
5 800
124
17 300
35
12 100
66
33 600
180
37 000
347
27 400
1 706
29 900
9
64 500
315
51 200
399
nama_gdp_c

GDP growth in volume

Public balance

Government debt

Quarterly growth rate (%)

(% of GDP)

(% of GDP)

Q2-2011
Q3-2011
-4.3
:
-3.7
:
1.4
-9.0
-0.6
0.2
-0.5
-3.2
-2.0
-3.6
:
:
4.5
3.7
-8.2
-10.6
-12.3
-9.4
-9.9
-6.1
:
:
-3.4
-2.7
-7.0
1.9
0.9
-0.8
-5.1
-1.5
4.5
-1.8
-4.2
-5.6
-6.7
-2.5
-8.5
-5.4
-2.0
-2.9
-6.3
-2.2
-9.0
-3.8
-4.1
-3.0
-7.5
-5.0
-5.0
-2.5
5.0
-1.4
4.4
0.5
-10.3
-7.5
-5.3
-4.4
14.8
14.5
:
:
gov_q_ggnfa

Q2-2011
Q3-2011
81.7
82.2
87.7
87.4
98.0
98.5
15.2
15.0
39.0
39.8
46.4
49.3
82.0
81.8
6.2
6.1
102.3
104.9
154.7
159.1
66.0
66.0
86.0
85.2
121.2
119.6
67.4
67.5
45.1
44.6
38.1
37.6
18.8
18.5
77.7
82.6
71.9
70.3
63.8
64.5
72.1
71.6
55.9
56.3
106.5
110.1
34.3
33.3
44.4
44.4
42.7
42.2
45.5
47.2
37.3
37.0
83.9
85.2
:
:
41.8
39.0
:
:
gov_q_ggdebt

Q1-2011
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.5
0.6
0.0
1.3
3.0
1.8
0.2
0.4
0.9
0.1
-0.2
1.2
2.1
0.2
0.5
-0.3
0.8
0.9
1.0
-0.6
1.2
-0.1
0.8
0.2
0.7
0.4
2.8
-0.5
0.4

Q2-2011
0.2
0.2
0.4
0.3
0.2
1.0
0.3
1.7
1.9
:
0.2
-0.1
0.3
0.2
2.1
1.8
-0.9
0.2
0.4
0.2
0.5
1.2
-0.2
0.9
0.0
0.8
0.1
1.0
0.0
-3.6
0.5
0.5
teina011

Q3-2011
0.3
0.1
-0.1
0.3
-0.1
-0.5
0.5
1.2
1.6
:
0.0
0.3
-0.2
-0.7
1.7
1.4
0.6
0.5
0.3
-0.2
0.3
1.0
-0.6
1.8
-0.2
0.8
0.9
1.6
0.6
4.7
1.4
0.2

Population, living conditions and education

Population
Share of age
Total
group (%) (1)
(million)
<15
65+
1.1.2011
EU-27
502.50
15.6
17.4
Euro area (EA-17) 331.98
15.4
18.3
Belgium
10.95
16.9
17.2
Bulgaria
7.50
13.8
17.7
Czech Republic
10.53
14.4
15.5
Denmark
5.56
17.9
16.8
Germany
81.75
13.4
20.6
Estonia
1.34
15.3
17.0
Ireland
4.48
21.8
11.6
Greece
11.31
14.4
19.3
Spain
46.15
15.1
17.1
France
65.08
18.5
16.8
Italy
60.63
14.0
20.3
Cyprus
0.80
16.9
13.1
Latvia
2.23
13.7
17.4
Lithuania
3.24
15.0
16.5
Luxembourg
0.51
17.6
13.9
Hungary
9.99
14.6
16.7
Malta
0.42
15.3
15.5
Netherlands
16.66
17.5
15.6
Austria
8.40
14.7
17.6
Poland
38.20
15.1
13.6
Portugal
10.64
15.1
18.2
Romania
21.41
15.2
14.9
Slovenia
2.05
14.2
16.5
Slovakia
5.44
15.3
12.4
Finland
5.38
16.5
17.5
Sweden
9.42
16.6
18.5
United Kingdom
62.44
17.4
16.6
Iceland
0.32
20.9
12.3
Norway
4.92
18.7
15.1
Switzerland
7.87
15.2
16.8
Online data code: tps00001
tps00010

Fertility
rate
(children /
woman) (2)
1.59
:
1.84
1.49
1.49
1.87
1.39
1.63
2.07
1.44
1.39
2.00
1.41
1.51
1.17
1.55
1.63
1.25
1.38
1.79
1.44
1.38
1.36
1.38
1.57
1.40
1.87
1.98
1.94
2.20
1.95
1.50
tsdde220

Life expectancy At-risk-of poverty

rate
atbirth
(%) (4)
(years) (3)
Men
Women
Men
Women
2010
76.4
82.4
15.7
17.1
77.8
83.5
15.3
16.9
77.3
82.8
13.9
15.2
70.3
77.4
19.0
22.3
74.5
80.9
8.0
10.0
77.2
81.4
13.1
13.4
78.0
83.0
14.9
16.4
70.6
80.8
15.4
16.2
78.7
83.2
14.9
15.1
78.4
82.8
19.3
20.9
79.1
85.3
20.1
21.3
78.0
85.0
12.8
14.1
79.1
84.5
16.8
19.5
78.6
83.6
14.4
17.9
68.6
78.4
21.7
21.0
68.0
78.9
20.7
19.8
77.9
83.5
14.6
14.4
70.7
78.6
12.6
12.0
79.2
83.6
15.0
16.0
78.9
83.0
9.7
10.8
77.9
83.5
10.7
13.5
72.1
80.7
17.4
17.7
76.7
82.8
17.3
18.4
69.8
77.4
20.7
21.4
76.4
83.1
11.3
14.1
71.7
79.3
11.7
12.2
76.9
83.5
12.4
13.8
79.6
83.6
11.4
14.3
78.3
82.5
16.4
17.8
79.8
84.1
9.8
9.8
79.0
83.3
10.1
12.2
79.9
84.6
13.8
16.1
tps00025
tessi010

Educational
Early leavers
attainment
from education
(%) (5)
and training (%) (6)
Men
Women
Men
Women
73.7
71.8
69.0
67.9
70.0
71.0
79.3
79.6
94.8
89.1
77.8
75.1
88.3
83.3
86.3
91.8
70.5
76.4
60.8
64.3
51.5
53.7
72.1
69.6
54.3
56.0
75.2
73.0
85.1
91.6
91.0
93.0
80.7
74.6
84.3
78.4
31.4
26.0
73.9
70.8
87.6
77.5
88.8
88.5
28.6
35.1
78.5
70.2
85.2
81.4
92.8
89.1
85.2
80.8
81.6
81.5
78.9
73.4
67.0
66.1
81.4
80.5
88.9
82.6
edat_lfse_08

16.0
12.2
18.0
13.1
13.8
10.0
13.2
14.5
4.9
4.8
13.6
7.5
12.7
11.0
15.2
9.3
12.6
8.4
16.5
10.8
33.5
23.1
15.4
10.3
22.0
15.4
16.2
9.8
17.2
9.4
9.9
6.2
8.0
6.0
11.5
9.5
41.0
32.4
12.2
7.9
8.4
8.2
7.2
3.5
32.7
24.6
18.6
18.2
6.4
3.3
4.6
4.9
11.6
9.0
10.9
8.5
15.8
14.0
26.0
19.0
21.4
13.2
6.1
7.0
t2020_40

(1) EU-27, EA-17, Belgium, Cyprus, Romania and Switzerland, 1.1.2010. (2) EU-27, Belgium, France, Italy, Cyprus, Romania, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, 2009. (3) Belgium, France, Cyprus, Romania, the United Kingdom
and Switzerland, 2009; EU-27, EA-17 and Italy, 2008. (4) Ireland and Cyprus, 2009. (5) Those aged 2564 with at least an upper secondary education (level generally prior to higher education).
(6) Percentage of the population aged 18-24 with at most a lower secondary education and not in further education or training; women in Estonia, 2009.
Source: Eurostat

Employment and unemployment

Employment

EU-27
Euro area (EA-17)
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Germany
Estonia
Ireland
Greece
Spain
France
Italy
Cyprus
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Hungary
Malta
Netherlands
Austria
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovenia
Slovakia
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom
Iceland
Norway
Switzerland
Online data code:
Source: Eurostat

Employment rate, aged

20-64 (% of population)

(1 000)

Total

Men

Women

Q3-2010 Q3-2011
224 175 224 087
146 859 147 269
4 577
4 654
3 663
3 544
5 096
5 100
2 798
2 770
40 740
41 235
554
603
1 852
1 806
4 763
4 403
18 778
18 504
26 789
26 989
24 512
24 672
397
398
949
975
1 350
1 378
:
:
4 117
4 139
168
169
8 679
8 709
4 139
4 200
16 113
16 176
4 921
4 883
:
:
969
952
2 180
2 216
2 468
2 499
4 636
4 734
31 185
31 277
:
:
2 608
2 658
:
:
lfsi_grt_q

68.9
68.6
66.9
65.4
71.2
76.3
76.6
72.4
63.9
59.7
61.7
69.4
61.1
73.1
68.0
67.9
70.4
61.3
61.4
77.0
75.7
65.3
69.3
63.3
68.6
65.6
74.7
80.9
73.6
81.2
80.0
81.8

Q3-2011
75.4
75.4
72.4
68.3
80.3
79.7
81.8
75.6
68.7
70.9
67.9
74.2
73.0
80.2
69.4
68.6
78.3
67.7
78.5
82.8
81.6
73.0
74.0
70.2
72.1
73.2
76.6
83.7
79.4
84.8
82.8
88.6
lfsi_emp_q

62.4
62.0
61.4
62.6
61.8
72.9
71.4
69.5
59.2
48.4
55.5
64.8
49.4
66.0
66.7
67.2
62.2
55.2
43.6
71.2
69.9
57.7
64.7
56.4
64.9
57.9
72.7
78.0
67.9
77.6
77.1
74.8

Unemployment rate
(% of the labour force)
Youth,
Total
Long-term
aged 15-24
Q3-2011 Q4-2011 Q3-2011 Q4-2011 Q3-2010 Q3-2011
9.7
9.8
21.5
22.1
3.8
4.1
10.2
10.4
20.8
21.3
4.3
4.5
7.3
7.2
20.5
20.9
4.2
3.8
11.0
11.0
25.4
25.8
4.5
6.2
6.6
6.7
18.1
19.1
3.1
2.7
7.5
7.8
14.8
14.9
1.5
1.7
5.8
5.6
8.5
8.0
3.2
2.8
11.3
:
21.8
:
8.2
6.3
14.5
14.4
29.3
28.8
7.0
8.8
18.3
:
45.7
:
5.7
9.1
22.1
22.8
47.1
48.6
7.4
8.9
9.7
9.8
22.7
23.5
4.0
4.0
8.4
:
29.0
:
3.8
4.1
8.0
9.0
23.0
25.8
1.3
1.8
14.8
:
30.0
:
8.3
7.9
15.3
:
31.0
:
7.5
8.0
4.9
5.0
15.3
14.7
1.0
1.4
10.9
10.8
26.1
26.3
5.7
5.1
6.4
6.5
13.9
14.1
3.4
2.7
4.4
4.9
7.6
8.5
1.2
1.4
3.8
4.1
7.3
8.5
1.1
0.9
9.7
9.9
25.9
27.4
3.0
3.6
12.7
13.2
29.9
30.6
6.6
5.9
7.5
7.2
23.4
:
2.6
3.0
8.1
8.2
15.2
15.2
3.3
3.3
13.4
13.5
33.7
35.2
9.4
8.7
7.7
7.6
20.0
19.9
2.0
1.7
7.3
7.5
22.3
22.8
1.5
1.3
8.3
:
21.8
:
2.6
2.7
:
:
:
:
:
:
3.2
:
8.8
:
0.8
0.8
:
:
:
:
:
:
une_rt_q
une_ltu_q