GDP per capita in purchasing power standards<br>GDP per capita in the Member States ranged from 48% to 251% of the EU25 average in 2005

STAT/06/166

18 December 2006

GDP per capita in purchasing power standards
GDP per capita in the Member States ranged from 48% to 251% of the EU25 average in 2005

GDP per capita¹ in Luxembourg², expressed in terms of purchasing power standards³ (PPS), was more than twice the EU25 average in 2005, while Ireland was about 40% above the average. The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Sweden were between approximately 15% and 25% above the average. Finland, Germany and France recorded figures about 10% above the EU25 average, while Italy and Spain were around the average.

Cyprus was about 10% below the EU25 average, while Greece and Slovenia were around 20% below. The Czech Republic, Portugal and Malta were around 30% below the EU25 average, while Hungary, Estonia and Slovakia were about 40% below. Lithuania, Poland and Latvia were around half of the EU25 average.

The data for 2005, 2004 and 2003, published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, are based on revised purchasing power parities⁴, and the latest GDP and population figures.

1. The GDP per capita volume indices in this News Release are not fully comparable across countries because not all have yet allocated “financial intermediation services indirectly measured” (FISIM) to user sectors. Among EU Member States, only the United Kingdom has not yet allocated FISIM. In addition Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Norway, Switzerland and Japan have not yet made this change. The introduction of the allocation of FISIM will have a slight upward effect on the GDP per capita figures of these countries.
2. The GDP per capita in Luxembourg is very high partly due to the large share of cross-border workers in total employment. While contributing to GDP, they are not taken into consideration as part of the resident population which is used to calculate GDP per capita.
3. The PPS (purchasing power standard) is an artificial currency unit that reflects differences in national price levels that are not taken into account by exchange rates. This unit allows meaningful volume comparisons of economic indicators between countries.
4. The regular publication schedule of purchasing power parities includes four estimates for a particular year. For 2005, the first estimate (nowcast), based on projections, was published in News Release 79/2006 of 15 June 2006. This second estimate (preliminary data) is based on prices collected in 2005.

GDP per capita in PPS, EU25 = 100

*Figures for Greece do not incorporate the recent major revision to Greek national accounts.

USA and Japan: source OECD for PPPs