Economy of the European Union

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Economy of the European Union
Currency 1 Euro (€) = 100 cents
Statistics
GDP ranking 1st (2006)
GDP (PPP) US $13.06 trillion (2006)
GDP growth rate 3.1% (2006)
GDP per capita US $29,900 (2006)
GDP by sector (2006) 70.5% services
27.3% industry
  2.1% agriculture
Inflation 1.9% (2007)
Population below poverty threshold 17%
Labour force 221.5 million
Labour force by occupation (2006) 67.0% services
27.3% industry
  4.4% agriculture
Unemployment 7.0% (May 2007)
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4]
Trading partners
Imports US $1.466 trillion (2006)

Main import partners (2005)
China, Japan, Russia, United States

Exports US $1.33 trillion (ranking: 1st) (2006)

Main export partners (2005)
China, Russia, Switzerland, United States

Public finances
Public debt € 7,240.8 billion
(58.7% of GDP) (2007)
Public deficit € 109.5 billion
(-0.9% of GDP) (2007)
Expenditure € 5,648.6 billion (2007)
Revenue € 5,537.6 billion (2007)
Note: The data in this section is derived from the combined public finance figures of each of the 27 EU member states
Sources: Eurostat Data 2008

The economy of the European Union combines the economies of 27 member states and is generating an estimated nominal GDP of 11.9 trillion in 2008 according to the IMF. It accounts for about 31% of the world's total economic output. Fifteen member states adopted a single currency, the euro, managed by the European Central Bank. The EU economy consists of a single market and is represented as a unified entity in the WTO.

Contents

[edit] Currency

Main articles: Euro and Eurozone

The official currency of the European Union is the euro, used in all its documents and policies. The Stability and Growth Pact sets out the fiscal criteria to maintain for stability and (economic) convergence. The euro is also the most widely used currency in the EU, which is in use in 15 member states known as the Eurozone. All other member states, apart from Denmark and the United Kingdom which have special opt-outs, have committed to changing over to the euro once they have fulfilled the requirements needed to do so - although Sweden also has an effective opt-out by choosing when or whether to join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism which is the preliminary step towards joining. The remaining states are committed to join the Euro through their Treaties of Accession.

[edit] Budget

Further information: Budget of the European Union

The operation of the EU has an agreed budget of €116 billion for the year 2007, and €862 billion for the period 2007-2013,[1] this represent around 1% of the EU's GDP. By comparison, the UK expenditure for 2004 alone was estimated at about €759 billion and France was estimated at about €801 billion. In 1960, the then "EU" (EEC) budget was 0.03% of GDP. [5]

[edit] Economic variation

Below is a table showing, respectively, the GDP (PPP) and the GDP (PPP) per capita for the European Union and for each of its 27 member states, sorted by GDP (PPP) per capita. This can be used as a rough gauge to the relative standards of living among member states, with Luxembourg and Ireland the highest; Romania and Bulgaria the lowest. Eurostat, based in Luxembourg, is the Official Statistical Office of the European Communities releasing yearly GDP figures for the member states as well as the EU as a whole, which are regularly updated, supporting this way a measure of wealth and a base for the European Union's budgetary and economic policies. Figures are stated in euro. All data for 2007 are projections.

These are the official Eurostat figures, as of 21 April 2007.

GDP (PPP) per capita 2006        >$30,000       >$25,000       >$20,000       >$15,000       >$10,000
GDP (PPP) per capita 2006
      >$30,000       >$25,000       >$20,000       >$15,000       >$10,000
Member States GDP (PPP) 2007
millions of
euro
GDP (PPP)
per capita 2007
euro
Percentage of EU27
average GDP
(PPP) per capita
Flag of Europe European Union 12,172,536 24,800 100%
1 Flag of Germany Germany 2,340,372 28,400 115%
2 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 1,847,105 29,300 119%
3 Flag of France France 1,744,444 27,200 110%
4 Flag of Italy Italy 1,500,475 25,200 102%
5 Flag of Spain Spain 1,121,961 25,900 105%
6 Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 530,564 32,600 132%
7 Flag of Poland Poland 515,448 13,500 55%
8 Flag of Belgium Belgium 319,867 29,700 120%
9 Flag of Sweden Sweden 274,499 30,700 126%
10 Flag of Austria Austria 264,472 31,800 129%
11 Flag of Greece Greece 246,671 24,400 98%
12 Flag of Romania Romania 215,251 10,000 40%
13 Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 207,174 20,200 82%
14 Flag of Portugal Portugal 194,502 18,300 74%
15 Flag of Denmark Denmark 171,298 30,900 124%
16 Flag of Hungary Hungary 166,031 15,900 64%
17 Flag of Ireland Ireland 157,070 36,200 147%
18 Flag of Finland Finland 155,640 29,400 120%
19 Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 91,772 17,000 69%
20 Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 72,658 9,400 38%
21 Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 50,194 14,900 61%
22 Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 45,278 22,400 90%
23 Flag of Latvia Latvia 32,802 14,400 61%
24 Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 31,376 70,400 285%
25 Flag of Estonia Estonia 23,919 17,800 72%
26 Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 17,773 22,800 92%
27 Flag of Malta Malta 7,824 19,200 77%

Source:GDP(PPP): EUROSTAT [6]
PERCENTAGES: EUROSTAT([7]).

[edit] Economies of member states

Economic performance varies from state to state. The Growth and Stability Pact governs fiscal policy with the European Union. It applies to all member states, with specific rules which apply to the eurozone members that stipulate that each state's deficit must not exceed 3% of GDP and its public debt must not exceed 60% of GDP. However, many larger members have consistently run deficits substantially in excess of 3%, and the eurozone as a whole has a debt percentage exceeding 60% (see below).

With the exception of Portugal, all countries with below average GNI per capita are those which joined the EU in May 2004 and all countries with above average GNI per capita come from the existing (pre-2004) member states.[citation needed]

The following table shows information relating to the member states of the European Union, ordered according to the 'Size' of their economies. (NB: Were the table ordered according to 'GDP per capita' this would perhaps better reflect the strength of an individual economy. But this is not how such tables are commonly structured).

The colours denote how a member state is performing relative to the rest of the European Union, above average (green) or below average (red). The smallest and greatest values in each column are emphasised. The data for GDP, Annual change of GDP, GDP per capita and inflation are IMF estimates made in May 2008. [8]&[9]

Member State
sorted by GDP
GDP
in billions
of US $
(2007)
GDP
% of EU
(2007)
Annual
change
 % of GDP
GDP
per capita
in PPP US $
(2007)
Public Debt[2]
% of GDP
(2007)
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)[2]
% of GDP
(2007)
Inflation
% Annual
(2007)
Unemp.[3]
%
(March 2008)
Flag of Europe European Union [10] 15,183.4 100.0% 2.8 29 342 58.7 -0.9 2.2 6.7
Flag of Germany Germany 3,653.3 19.4% 1.8 35,392.4 65.0 0.0 2.0 7.3
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 2,660.7 16.8% 2.9 36,568 43.8 -2.9 2.3 5.1
Flag of France France 2,843.1 15.2% 2.0 34,139.9 64.2 -2.7 1.7 7.8
Flag of Italy Italy 2,330.0 12.6% 1.8 31,022.2 104.0 -1.9 2.1 6.1
Flag of Spain Spain 1,622.5 8.6% 3.8 30,764.5 36.2 2.2 2.6 9.3
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 862.9 4.5% 2.9 39,891.5 45.4 0.4 1.8 2.6
Flag of Sweden Sweden 423.6 2.7% 3.3 35,729 40.6 3.5 1.8 5.6
Flag of Belgium Belgium 507.1 2.7% 2.2 36,214.6 84.9 -0.2 1.9 6.9
Flag of Poland Poland 364.8 2.3% 6.5 19,600 45.2 -2.0 2.2 7.7
Flag of Austria Austria 418.7 2.2% 2.8 39,846.5 59.1 -0.5 1.6 4.1
Flag of Greece Greece 361.5 2.2% 3.8 30,745.4 94.5 -2.8 3.2 7.9
Flag of Denmark Denmark 302.6 1.9% 2.5 38,072 26.0 4.4 2.0 3.1
Flag of Ireland Ireland 250.2 1.6% 5.0 46,786 25.4 0.3 2.4 5.6
Flag of Finland Finland 225.4 1.4% 3.1 36,324 35.4 5.3 1.5 6.3
Flag of Portugal Portugal 211.7 1.3% 1.8 23,464 63.6 -2.6 2.5 7.4
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 160.4 1.0% 4.8 24,679 28.7 -1.6 2.9 4.5
Flag of Romania Romania 187.9 1.0% 6.5 12,285.0 13.0 -2.5 4.5 6.2
Flag of Hungary Hungary 125.0 1.0% 2.8 20,700 66.0 -5.5 6.4 7.6
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 69.3 0.8% 8.2 19,172 29.4 -2.2 2.4 9.8
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 45.8 0.3% 4.6 84,507 6.8 2.9 2.1 4.5
Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 41.1 0.3% 4.5 25,266 24.1 -0.1 2.7 4.3
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 35.8 0.2% 6.0 10,677 18.2 3.4 5.3 5.9
Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 35.4 0.2% 7.0 16,863 17.3 -1.2 3.5 4.5
Flag of Latvia Latvia 24.1 0.2% 10.5 17,364 9.7 0.0 7.3 5.3
Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 19.9 0.1% 3.9 31,053 59.8 3.3 2.1 3.7
Flag of Estonia Estonia 19.6 0.2% 9.9 20,114 3.4 2.8 4.8 5.5
Flag of Malta Malta 6.2 0.1% 2.3 21,061 62.6 -1.8 2.4 5.6

[edit] Economic growth

The EU's share of Gross world product (GWP) is stable at around one fifth [11]. GDP growth, though strong in the new member states, is being affected by sluggish growth in France, Italy and Portugal.

Estonia and Latvia, also referred[4] to as the Baltic Tigers, have the highest GDP growth rates in the union and one of the highest in the world.

Population and GDP per capita of EU member states and some candidates.
Population and GDP per capita of EU member states and some candidates.
GDP (PPP) per capita 2007 showing countries above and below EU-27 average
GDP (PPP) per capita 2007 showing countries above and below EU-27 average
[12] EU15 GDP growth rates [13] New member GDP growth rates
Member State  % GDP Growth [14]
2005 2006 2007 2008
Flag of Austria Austria 2.0 3.3 3.3 2.5
Flag of Belgium Belgium 1.4 3.0 2.6 1.9
Flag of Denmark Denmark 3.1 3.5 1.9 1.5
Flag of Finland Finland 2.9 5.0 4.3 3.0
Flag of France France 1.7 2.0 1.9 2.0
Flag of Germany Germany 0.8 2.9 2.4 2.0
Flag of Greece Greece 3.7 4.3 3.9 3.6
Flag of Ireland Ireland 5.9 5.7 4.6 3.0
Flag of Italy Italy 0.1 1.9 1.7 1.3
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 4.0 6.2 5.4 4.2
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 1.5 3.0 2.6 2.5
Flag of Portugal Portugal 0.5 1.3 1.8 1.8
Flag of Spain Spain 3.6 3.9 3.7 2.7
Flag of Sweden Sweden 2.9 4.2 3.6 2.8
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 1.8 2.8 3.1 2.3
Member State  % GDP Growth
2004 2005 2006 2007
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 5.7 5.5 5.6 6.1
Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.8
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 4.2 6.1 6.0 4.9
Flag of Estonia Estonia 7.8 9.8 9.5 8.7
Flag of Hungary Hungary 5.2 4.1 4.5 2.4
Flag of Latvia Latvia 8.6 10.2 11.0 9.6
Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 7.0 7.5 6.8 7.3
Flag of Malta Malta -1.5 2.5 1.6 3.0
Flag of Poland Poland 5.3 3.4 6.1 6.5
Flag of Romania Romania 4.1 8.5 7.7 6.7
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 5.4 6.1 6.5 8.5
Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 4.2 4.0 5.2 4.3

Flag of Europe European Union 2.4 1.8 2.8 2.4
Eurozone 2.1 1.3 2.4 2.0

The ten new member states of Eastern and North Europe have enjoyed a higher average percentage growth rate than their Western European counterparts. Notably the Baltic states have achieved massive GDP growth, with Latvia topping 11%, close to China, the world leader at 9% on average for the past 25 years. Reasons for this massive growth include government commitments to stable monetary policy, export-oriented trade policies, low flat-tax rates and the utilisation of relatively cheap labour.

The current map of EU growth is one of huge regional variation, with the larger economies suffering from stagnant growth and the new nations enjoying sustained, robust economic growth.

Although EU27 GDP is on the increase, the percentage of Gross world product is decreasing due to the emergence of economic powers such as China, India and Brazil. In the medium to long term, the EU will be looking to increase GDP growth in the central European economies such as France, Germany and Italy and stabilise growth in the new Eastern European states to ensure sustained economic prosperity.

[edit] Energy resources

The European Union has large coal, oil, and natural gas reserves. There are six oil producers in the European Union, primarily in North Sea oilfields. The United Kingdom by far is the largest producer, however Denmark, Germany, Italy, Romania and the Netherlands all produce oil. If it is treated as a single unit, which is not conventional in the oil markets, the European Union is the 7th largest producer of oil in the world, producing 3,424,000 (2001) barrels a day. However, it is also the world's 2nd largest consumer of oil, consuming much more than it can produce, at 14,590,000 (2001) barrels a day.

All countries in the EU have committed to the Kyoto Protocol, and the European Union is one of its biggest proponents. The European Commission published proposals for the first comprehensive EU energy policy on January 10, 2007.

see also: Renewable energy in the European Union and category:Energy in the European Union

[edit] Trade

The European Union is the largest exporter in the world ([15]) and the second largest importer. Internal trade between the member states is aided by the removal of barriers to trade such as tariffs and border controls. In the eurozone, trade is helped by not having any currency differences to deal with amongst most members. The European Union Association Agreement does something similar for a much larger range of countries, partly as a so-called soft approach ('a carrot instead of a stick') to influence the politics in those countries.

The European Union represents all its members at the World Trade Organization, and acts on behalf of member states in any disputes.

[edit] Unemployment

Unemployment rate by country in the EU-25 in March, 2005
Unemployment rate by country in the EU-25 in March, 2005
Unemployment rate by country in the EU-27 in March, 2008
Unemployment rate by country in the EU-27 in March, 2008

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the European Union (EU27) in March 2008 was 6.7% compared to 7.5% in March 2007.[3] The unemployment rate (EU25) had already declined in prior years from 8.9% in March 2005 to 8.4% in March 2006.[5] The rate varies widely by member state. By comparison in March 2008 the United States had an unemployment rate of 5.1% (2007: 4.4; 2006: 4.7; 2005: 5.1) and Japan a rate of 3.9% (2007: 4.0; 2006: 4.1; 2005: 4.5) measured by Eurostat.[3][5]

The following tables show the current unemployment rate of all Member States for March 2008 with comparisons to March 2007, 2006 and 2005 and comparisons to the United States and Japan:

Member State  % Unemployment
March 2005 March 2006 March 2007 March 2008
Flag of Austria Austria 5.1 5.1 4.5 4.1
Flag of Belgium Belgium 8.4 8.2 7.7 6.9
Flag of Denmark Denmark 5.4 4.3 4.1 3.1
Flag of Finland Finland 8.5 7.9 7.0 6.3
Flag of France France 9.7 9.1 8.6 7.8
Flag of Germany Germany 9.8 8.7 8.6 7.3
Flag of Greece Greece 9.9 9.6 8.6 7.9
Flag of Ireland Ireland 4.5 4.2 4.6 5.6
Flag of Italy Italy 7.8 7.7 6.1 6.1
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 4.3 4.8 4.9 4.5
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 4.9 4.0 3.4 2.6
Flag of Portugal Portugal 7.4 7.6 8.2 7.4
Flag of Spain Spain 9.9 8.7 8.1 9.3
Flag of Sweden Sweden 6.3 7.2 6.6 5.6
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 4.6 5.0 5.5 5.1
Member State  % Unemployment Rate
March 2005 March 2006 March 2007 March 2008
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria x x 7.5 5.9
Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 5.1 5.2 4.1 3.7
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 8.0 7.7 5.6 4.5
Flag of Estonia Estonia 8.8 5.3 4.9 5.5
Flag of Hungary Hungary 6.8 7.4 7.3 7.6
Flag of Latvia Latvia 9.1 7.6 6.4 5.3
Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 9.2 6.4 4.6 4.5
Flag of Malta Malta 7.2 8.1 6.6 5.6
Flag of Poland Poland 18.0 16.8 10.3 7.7
Flag of Romania Romania x x 6.6 6.2
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 16.7 15.7 11.3 9.8
Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 6.4 6.2 5.2 4.3
Flag of Europe European Union 8.9 8.4 7.3 6.7
Flag of the United States United States 5.1 4.7 4.4 5.1
Flag of Japan Japan 4.5 4.1 4.0 3.9

[edit] Industries

The services sector is by far the most important sector in the European Union, making up 69.4% of GDP, compared to the manufacturing industry with 28.4% of GDP and agriculture with only 2.3% of GDP.

[edit] Agriculture

The agricultural sector is supported by subsidies from the European Union in the form of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This currently represents 40-50% of the EU's total spending. It guarantees a minimum price for farmers in the EU. This is criticised as a form of protectionism, inhibiting trade, and damaging developing countries; one of the most vocal opponents is the UK, the second largest economy within the bloc, which has repeatedly refused to give up the annual UK Rebate unless the CAP undergoes significant reform; France, the biggest benefactor of the CAP and the bloc's third largest economy, is its most vocal proponent.

[edit] Tourism

The European Union is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from outside of the Union and citizens travelling inside it. Internal tourism is made more convenient for the citizens of some EU member states by the Schengen treaty and the Euro. All citizens of the European Union are entitled to travel to any member state without the need of a visa. If the EU component states are considered separate entities, France is the world's number one tourist destination for international visitors, followed by Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom at 2nd, 5th and 6th spots respectively. If the EU is considered a single entity, the number of international visitors is less, as most visitors to EU nations are from other EU member states.

[edit] Companies

The European Union's member states are the birthplace of many of the world's largest leading multinational companies, and home to its global headquarters. Among these are distinguished companies ranked first in the world within their industry/sector, like Allianz, which is the largest financial service provider in the world by revenue; Airbus, which produces around half of the world's jet airliners; Air France-KLM, which is the largest airline company in the world in terms of total operating revenues; Amorim, which is the world's largest cork-processing and cork producer company; ArcelorMittal, which is the largest steel company in the world; Groupe Danone, which has the world leadership in the dairy products market; InBev, which is the largest beer company in the world; L'Oréal Group, which is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company; LVMH, which is the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate; Nokia Corporation, which is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile telephones; Royal Dutch Shell, which is the largest energy corporation in the world; and Stora Enso, which is the world's largest pulp and paper manufacturer in terms of production capacity. Many other European companies rank among the world's largest companies in terms of turnover, profit, market share, number of employees or other major indicators. A considerable number of EU-based companies are ranked among the worlds' top-ten within their sector of activity.

[edit] Regional variation

Comparing the richest areas of the EU can be a difficult task. This is because the NUTS 1 & 2 regions are not homogenous, some of them being very large regions, such as NUTS-1 Hesse (21,100 km²) or NUTS-1 Île-de-France (12,011 km²), whilst other NUTS regions are much smaller, for example NUTS-1 Hamburg (755 km²) or NUTS-1 Greater London (1,580 km²). An extreme example is Finland, which is divided for historical reasons into mainland Finland with 5.3 million inhabitants and Åland, an island with a population of 26,700, or about the population of a small Finnish city.

One problem with this data is that in some areas, including Greater London, are subject to a large number of commuters coming into the area, thereby artificially inflating the figures. It has the effect of raising GDP but not altering the number of people living in the area, inflating the GDP per capita figure. Similar problems can be produced by a large number of tourists visiting the area.

The data is used to define regions that are supported with financial aid in programs such as the European Regional Development Fund.

The decision to delineate a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) region is to a large extent arbitrary (i.e. not based on objective and uniform criteria across Europe), and is decided at European level (See also: Regions of the European Union).

[edit] Top 10: economically strongest NUTS-1 and NUTS-2 regions

The 10 NUTS-1 and NUTS-2 regions with the highest GDP per capita are all in the first fifteen member states: none are in the 12 new member states that joined in May 2004 and January 2007. The NUTS Regulation lays down a minimum population size of 3 million and a maximum size of 7 million for the average NUTS-1 region, whereas a minimum of 800.000 and a maximum of 3 million for NUTS-2 regions ¹ [16]. This definition, however, is not respected by Eurostat. E.g.: the région of Île-de-France, with 11.6 million inhabitants, is treated as a NUTS-2 region, while the state of Bremen, with only 664,000 inhabitants, is treated as a NUTS-1 region.

See also: List of NUTS-1, NUTS-2 and NUTS-3 regions

Rank NUTS-1 region 2004 GDP (PPP) per capita
in euros
1 Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 53,978
2 Flag of Belgium Brussels-Capital, Belgium 53,381
3 Flag of Germany Hamburg, Germany 41,972
4 Flag of the United Kingdom Greater London, United Kingdom 40,542
5 Flag of France Île-de-France, France 37,526
6 Flag of Germany Bremen, Germany 33,508
7 Flag of Finland Åland, Finland 31,909
8 Flag of the Netherlands Randstad, Netherlands 30,762
9 Flag of Ireland Ireland 30,414
10 Flag of Germany Bavaria, Germany 29,646
Rank NUTS-2 region 2004 GDP (PPP) per capita
in euros
Note that Flag of Germany Frankfurt (€68,751 per capita)[6] and Flag of France Paris (€67,980 per capita)[6]
are treated as NUTS-3 by Eurostat and are thus not listed here.
1 Flag of the United Kingdom Inner London, United Kingdom 65,138
2 Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 53,978
3 Flag of Belgium Brussels-Capital, Belgium 53,381
4 Flag of Germany Hamburg, Germany 41,972
5 Flag of Austria Vienna, Austria 38,632
6 Flag of France Île-de-France, France 37,526
7 Flag of the United Kingdom Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire, United Kingdom 37,379
8 Flag of Germany Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria), Germany 36,408
9 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden 35,621
10 Flag of the Netherlands Utrecht, Netherlands 33,905

[edit] Economically weakest NUTS-2 regions

The fifteen lowest regions in the ranking in 2004 were all in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, with the lowest figures recorded in Nord-Est in Romania (24% of the average), followed by Severozapaden, Yuzhen tsentralen and Severen tsentralen in Bulgaria (all 26%). Among the 70 regions below the 75% level, fifteen were in Poland, eight each in Greece and Romania, seven in the Czech Republic, six each in Bulgaria and Hungary, four each in France (all overseas departments), Italy and Portugal, three in Slovakia, one region in Spain, and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta.

Rank NUTS-2 region 2005 GDP (PPP)
per capita
in Euros
% of the average GDP
of EU27 in 2005
1 Flag of Romania Nord-Est, Romania 5,430 24
2 Flag of Bulgaria Severozapaden, Bulgaria 6,023 27
3 Flag of Bulgaria Yuzhen tsentralen, Bulgaria 6,026 27
4 Flag of Bulgaria Severen tsentralen, Bulgaria 6,205 28
5 Flag of Romania Sud-Vest, Romania 6,293 28
6 Flag of Romania Sud, Romania 6,526 29
7 Flag of Bulgaria Severoiztochen, Bulgaria 6,874 31
8 Flag of Romania Sud-Est, Romania 6,921 31
9 Flag of Bulgaria Yugoiztochen, Bulgaria 7,404 33
10 Flag of Romania Nord-Vest, Romania 7,542 34
11 Flag of Poland Lubelskie, Poland 7,839 35
12 Flag of Poland Podkarpackie, Poland 7,927 35
13 Flag of Romania Centru, Romania 8,066 36
14 Flag of Poland Podlaskie, Poland 8,500 38
15 Flag of Poland Swietokrzyskie, Poland 8,586 38

[edit] Richest & Poorest NUTS-2 Regions (GDP PPP 2005)

See also: List of all NUTS-2 regions with GDP 2005 data

Member State Region GDP per capita
in Euros As % of EU-27 average
Flag of Europe European Union 22,400 100.0%
Flag of Austria Austria 28,852 128.8%
Richest Vienna 39,774 177.6%
Poorest Burgenland 19,877 88.7%
Flag of Belgium Belgium 27,135 121.1%
Richest Brussels-Capital 53,876 240.5%
Poorest Hainaut 17,819 79.5%
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 7,913 35.3%
Richest Yugozapaden 11,704 52.2%
Poorest Severozapaden 6,023 26.9%
Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 20,753 92.6%
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 17,156 76.6%
Richest Prague 35,901 160.3%
Poorest Central Moravia 13,393 59.8%
Flag of Denmark Denmark 28,375 126.7%
Richest Hovedstaden 36,073 161.0%
Poorest Sjaelland 21,265 94.9%
Flag of France France 25,077 111.9%
Richest Ile-de-France 38,666 172.6%
Poorest French Guiana 11,306 50.5%
Flag of Germany Germany 25,797 115.2%
Richest Hamburg 45,271 202.1%
Poorest Northeast Brandenburg 16,627 74.2%
Flag of Estonia Estonia 14,093 62.9%
Flag of Finland Finland 25,774 115.1%
Richest Åland 31,245 139.5%
Poorest East Finland 19,114 85.3%
Flag of Greece Greece 21,589 96.4%
Richest Attica 29,361 131.1%
Poorest West Greece 13,235 59.1%
Flag of Hungary Hungary 14,393 64.3%
Richest Central Hungary 23,489 104.9%
Poorest Northern Hungary 9,153 40.9%
Flag of Ireland Ireland 32,197 143.7%
Richest Southern and Eastern 35,420 158.1%
Poorest Border, Midland and Western 23,367 104.3%
Flag of Italy Italy 23,474 104.8%
Richest Province of Bolzano-Bozen 30,613 136.7%
Poorest Sicily 15,098 67.4%
Flag of Latvia Latvia 11,180 49.9%
Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 11,914 53.2%
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 59,202 264.3%
Flag of Malta Malta 17,330 77.4%
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 29,374 131.0%
Richest Groningen 36,728 164.0%
Poorest Flevoland 21,573 96.3%
Flag of Poland Poland 11,482 51.3%
Richest Mazowieckie 18,184 81.2%
Poorest Lubelskie 7,839 35.0%
Flag of Portugal Portugal 16,891 75.4%
Richest Lisbon 23,816 106.3%
Poorest Norte 13,399 59.8%
Flag of Romania Romania 7,933 35.4%
Richest Bucharest-Ilfov 16,760 74.8%
Poorest North East Romania 5,430 24.2%
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 13,563 60.6%
Richest Bratislava Region 33,124 147.9%
Poorest Východné Slovensko 9,663 43.1%
Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 19,462 86.9%
Richest Zahodna Slovenija 23,453 104.7%
Poorest Vzhodna Slovenija 16,049 71.4%
Flag of Spain Spain 23,069 103.0%
Richest Madrid 29,997 133.9%
Poorest Extremadura 15,608 69.7%
Flag of Sweden Sweden 27,721 123.8%
Richest Stockholm 38,574 172.2%
Poorest East Middle Sweden 23,621 105.4%
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 26,715 119.3%
Richest Inner London 67,798 302.7%
Poorest Cornwall & Isles of Scilly 17,343 77.4%

[edit] Comparison with regional blocs

Most active regional blocs
(as of 2004, except as noted)
Regional bloc1 Area Population GDP ($US) Member
states1
km² sq mi in millions (PPP) in millions (nominal) per capita (PPP) per capita (nominal)
AU 29,797,500 11,504,879 897,548,804 1,515,000 1,131,850 1,896 1,261 53
ASEAN (2007 est.) 4,497,493 1,736,000 566,500,000 3,115,480 1,173,000 5,541 2,041 10
CACM 422,614 163,172 37,816,598 159,536 84,792 4,219 2,242 5
CARICOM 462,344 178,512 14,565,083 64,219 24,020 4,409 1,649 (14+1)3
CCASG / GCC 2,285,844 882,569 35,869,438 536,223 717,800 14,949 20,011 6
CEFTA 298,148 115,116 28,929,682 222,041 122,001 7,675 4,217 (7+1)3
EU (2007 est.) 4,324,782 1,669,808 497,000,000 14,953,000 16,574,000 28,213 33,482 27
EurAsEC 20,789,100 8,026,720 208,067,618 1,689,137 1,125,528 8,118 5,409 6
EFTA (2007 est.) 529,600 204,480 12,660,623 567,500 743,300 44,828 60,000 4
GAFTA 9,421,946 3,637,834 280,727,416 1,341,298 N/A 4,778 N/A (16+1)3
GUAM 810,506 312,938 63,764,600 456,173 106,469 7,154 1,670 4
NAFTA (2007 est.) 21,783,850 8,410,792 445,000,000 15,857,000 15,723,000 35,491 35,564 3
PARTA 528,151 203,920 34,137,339 23,074 N/A 2,954 N/A (14+2)3
SAARC 5,136,740 1,983,306 1,467,255,669 4,074,031 N/A 2,777 N/A 8
Unasur / Unasul 17,339,153 6,694,684 370,158,470 2,868,430 N/A 7,749 N/A 12
UN and countries
for reference2
Area Population GDP ($US) Units4
km² sq mi in millions (PPP) in millions (nominal) per capita (PPP) per capita (nominal)
UN 133,178,011 51,420,318 6,411,682,270 55,167,630 48,245,198 8,604 7,524 192
Brazil (2007 est.) 8,514,877 3,287,612 183,888,841 1,804,000 1,067,706 10,073 6,842 27
Canada (2007 est.) 9,984,670 3,855,103 33,000,000 1,274,000 1,406,000 38,200 42,738 13
India (2007 est.) 3,287,590 1,269,346 1,120,000,000 4,726,000 1,089,000 4,182 1,004 35
Japan (2007 est.) 377,873 145,898 127,433,494 4,346,000 4,346,000 33,800 38,341 47
PR China5 (2007 est.) 9,596,960 3,705,407 1,321,851,888 7,043,000 3,420,000 5,300 2,800 33
Russia (2007 est.) 17,075,200 6,592,772 142,500,000 2,076,000 1,286,000 14,600 9,056 83
USA (2007 est.) 9,826,630 3,794,083 302,000,000 13,543,000 13,794,700 43,500 45,594 50
Source: CIA World Factbook 2005, IMF WEO Database, IMF nominal figures for 2006.[citation needed]
Legend
     smallest value among the blocs compared     largest value among the blocs compared

Footnotes
1 Including data only for full and most active members.
2 Including the largest five countries by area, population (not #4), GDP (PPP) (not #5), and GDP (nominal) (not #3 or #5).
3 Including non-sovereign autonomous areas of other states.
4 Members or administrative divisions.
5 Data for the People's Republic of China does not include Hong Kong, Macau, or the independent Republic of China (Taiwan) (over which PRC claims sovereignty).

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[edit] References

  • Note 1: One region may be classified by Eurostat as a NUTS-1, NUTS-2 as well as a NUTS-3 region. Several NUTS-1 regions are also classified as NUTS-2 regions such as Brussels-Capital or Ile-de-France. Many countries are only classified as a single NUTS-1 and a single NUTS-2 region such as Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg and (although over 3 million inhabitants) Denmark.
  • Euro-indicators News release. June 2005 inflation data. Retrieved on July 18, 2005.
  • Euro-indicators News release. May 2005 unemployment data. Retrieved on July 18, 2005.
  • World Bank. GNI data (July 2005). Retrieved on August 4, 2005.

The following links are used for the GDP growth and GDP totals (IMF):

[edit] See also

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