Key facts and figures about Europe and the Europeans
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How wealthy are Europeans?
Standards of living in Europe have improved significantly over the past decade. Based on the PPS, which makes international comparisons possible, EU standards of living are among the highest in the world.
GDP per inhabitant in PPS (2007)
| Country | GDP in PPS |
|---|---|
| US | 37300 |
| JP | 27800 |
| EU-27 | 24700 |
| RU | 10000 (*) |
| CN | 6400 (*) |
(*) 2006.
Source: IMF, Eurostat.
The standard of living in the EU varies. GDP per inhabitant (in PPS) is highest in Luxembourg and lowest in Bulgaria. The EU is striving to narrow the gap between its rich and poor members, strengthen the European economy, make it more competitive and create more jobs so we can all enjoy a better quality of life. As it is, GDP growth is currently faster in the poorer countries which have joined the EU since 2004 than in the other member states.
GDP per inhabitant in PPS in the EU-27 (2006)
| Country | GDP in PPS |
|---|---|
| Luxembourg (LU) | 65700 |
| Ireland (IE) | 34200 |
| Netherlands (NL) | 30700 |
| Austria (AT) | 30000 |
| Denmark (DK) | 29600 |
| Belgium (BE) | 28200 |
| United Kingdom (UK) | 27800 |
| Sweden (SE) | 29300 |
| Finland (FI) | 27500 |
| Germany (DE) | 26900 |
| France (FR) | 26300 |
| Italy (IT) | 24300 |
| Spain (ES) | 24700 |
| EU-27 | 23500 |
| Cyprus (CY) | 21600 |
| Greece (EL) | 22900 |
| Slovenia (SI) | 20700 |
| Czech Republic (CZ) | 18500 |
| Portugal (PT) | 17500 |
| Malta (MT) | 18100 |
| Hungary (HU) | 15300 |
| Estonia (EE) | 16100 |
| Slovakia (SK) | 15000 |
| Lithuania (LT) | 13200 |
| Poland (PL) | 12300 |
| Latvia (LV) | 12600 |
| Romania (RO) | 9100 |
| Bulgaria (BG) | 8600 |
Source: Eurostat
GDP per inhabitant in PPS as a percentage of the EU-27 average (2004)
Source: European Commission