GFmag Online Readers Survey 2012
[ The European Union ]
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European Union Economic Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; EU and population overview

alt DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central Bank of the Eurosystem  altEuropean Central Bank (2009)

Countries that are part of the Eurosystem

(Countries that use the euro)

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Countries that created the euro area and introduced the euro in 1999: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain

Countries that were admitted to the euro area later: Greece (2001), Slovenia (2007), Cyprus (2008), Malta (2008), Slovakia (2009)

The micro-states of Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City also use the euro, on the basis of a formal arrangement with the European Community. Andorra, Montenegro and Kosovo likewise use the euro, but without a formal arrangement.

Gross Domestic Product

at market prices

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European Union (27 countries)

2009: 12,165,150 millions of euro  (estimate)

2010: 12,405,409 millions of euro (forecast)


Euro area

2009: 9,010,366 millions of euro (estimate)

2010: 9,168,142 millions of euro (forecast)

GDP PPP

(Purchasing Power Parity)

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Euro area

2009: 10,607 billion current International Dollars (estimate)

2010: 10,804 billion current International Dollars (forecast)

 

European Union

2009: 14,851 billion current International Dollars (estimate)

2010: 15,147 billion current International Dollars (forecast)

Real GDP growthalt
20012002200320042005200620072008
EU (27 countries)2%1.2%1.3%2.5%2%3.2%2.9%0.8%
Euro area1.9%0.9%0.8%2.1%1.7%3%2.7%0.6%

EU (27 countries)    2009: -4.1% (estimate)
                                    
2010: 0.7% (forecast)


Euro area                   2009: -4% (estimate)

                                     2010: 0.7% (forecast)

GDP per capita PPP

(Purchasing Power Parity)

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Euro area

2008: 34,311 current International Dollars (estimate)

2009: 33,235 current International Dollars (forecast)

2010: 33,729 current International Dollars (forecast)

GDP - composition by sectoraltagriculture: 1.8%
industry: 25.1%
services: 73.1% (2011 est.)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D

(% of GDP)

altEU-27: 1.85% (2007)
Euro area: 1.87% (2007)
Inflationalt
200820092010
Euro area3.3%0.3%0.8%
European Union3.7%0.9%1.1%
Unemployment ratealt

2008

2009

2010

7.6%9.9% (estimate)11.7% (forecast)
Gross household saving rate (%)altEU-27: 11.27% 2008
General government balance (% of GDP)alt
20072008

2009

2010

European Union-0.9%-2.3%-6.9% (estimate)-7.5% (forecast)
Euro area-0.6%-1.8%-6.2% (estimate)-6.6% (forecast)

General government debt

(% of GDP)

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20072008200920102011
EU-2758.7%61.5%73% (estimate)

79.3% (forecast)

83.7% (forecast)

Euro area66%69.3%

78.2% (estimate)

84% (forecast)

88.2% (forecast)

Largest companies in EuropealtHSBC Holdings, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, ING Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, BNP Paribas, Allianz, Total, AXA Group, Banco Santander, Barclays, EDF Group, E.ON, ENI, Deutsche Bank, UniCredit Group, Telefónica, Volkswagen Group, ArcelorMittal, Daimler, BBVA-Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, Credit Suisse Group, HBOS, Crédit Agricole, Nestlé, Fortis, France Telecom, Siemens, Lloyds TSB Group, StatoilHydro, Generali Group, Suez Group, Zurich Financial Services, Sanofi-aventis, Nokia, Munich Re, Novartis, Roche Holding, Rio Tinto, GlaxoSmithKline
FT Top 50 Banks in the World by market value 2009altHSBC, Banco Santander, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, UBS, Intesa San Paolo, BBV Argentaria, Credit Agricole, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale, Nordea Bank, Unicredit, Royal Bank of Scotland
alt DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current Account Balance (% GDP)alt

EU-27 - 2% (2008)

Euro area: - 1% (2008)

Share of world market for traded goodsaltEU-27
Export 16.7% (2008)
Import: 18.8% (2008)
(share of world total excluding intra-EU trade)
Share of world total merchandising exportaltEU-27 15.06% (2010)
Share of world total commercial services exportaltEU-27 24.39% (2010)
Total export (trade in goods and commercial services)altEU-27 1,821,735 millions of Euro (Extra EU27): 2008
Extra EU 27 trade by product: export altMachinery and transport equipment: 503.7 millions of euros; Other manufactured products 293.8 millions of euros; Chemicals and related products: 184.4 millions of euros; Food, drinks and tobacco: 57.9 millions of euro (2006)
Total import (trade in goods and commercial services)altEU-27 1,987,875 millions of Euro (Extra EU27): 2008
Extra EU 27 trade by product: import altMachinery and transport equipment: 401.8 millions of euros; Other manufactured products 341.4 millions of euros; Mineral fuels & lubricants: 338.8 millions of euros; Chemicals and related products: 108.9 millions of euros (2006)
Export - Main trading partners of the EU-27 for merchandise trade
(extra-EU-27 trade)
altUnited States: 19.1%; Russian Federation: 8%; China (including Hong Kong): 7.6%; Switzerland: 7.5%; Turkey: 4.1%; Norway: 3.3%; Japan: 3.2% (2008)
Import - Main trading partners of the EU-27 for merchandise trade
(extra-EU-27 trade)
altChina (including Hong Kong) 16.6%; United States 12%; Russian Federation 11.2%; Norway 6.1%; Switzerland 5.1%; Japan 4.8% (2008)
Foreign direct investment
inflows
(from extra EU countries)
altEU-27: 172,667 millions euro (2008)
Foreign direct investment
outflows
(toward extra EU countries)
altEU-27: 354,387 millions euro (2008)
alt EU AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zonealtWestern European Time (UTC+0)
Central European Time (UTC+1)
Eastern European Time (UTC+3)
Total area alt4,324,782 km² (2009)
Member states European UnionaltAustria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom (2010)
Candidate countries European UnionaltCroatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey (2010)
Political centres European UnionaltBrussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg (2009)
LanguagesaltThe European Union has 23 official languages. They are: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish and Swedish.
However, there are fewer official languages than Member States, as some share common languages. (2009)
ReligionsaltRoman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish (2009)
Total populationaltEU-27: 501,259,840 (2010, forecast)
Euro area: 329,671,838 (2010, forecast)
Population density (inhabitants per km²)altEU-27 114.3 (2005)
EU-15 120.9 (2006)
Population age structurealt0-14 years: 15.44%
15-64 years: 67.22%
65 years and over: 17.34%
Population growth ratealtEuropean Union: 0.108 % (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth by genderaltEuro area
Males 77.32 (2006)
Females 83.27 (2006)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini Index)altEuropean Union: 31 in 2007 (0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Computer use (Individuals who used a computer within the last year)altEU-27: 71% (2009)
% of households who have internet access at home alt

EU-27: 65%
Euro area: 66% (2009)

% of households with a broadband connectionaltEU-27: 56%
Euro area: 56% (2009)
Cost of living Indexalt

Copenhagen: 17th

London: 18th

Paris: 27th

Rome: 34th

Vienna: 36th

Stockholm: 39th

Helsinki: 42nd

Prague: 47th

Amsterdam: 50th

Athens: 53rd

Bratislava: 57th

Dublin: 58th

Madrid: 60th

Brussels: 62nd

Luxembourg: 72nd

Berlin: 84th

Lisbon: 86th

Riga: 88th

Zagreb: 100th

Warsaw: 102nd

Budapest: 113th

Tallinn: 124th

Vilnius: 133rd

Ljubljana: 140th

Bucharest: 152nd

Sofia: 169th (2011)

alt GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2009:
  • Grade A to Jean-Claude Trichet (2009)
alt ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE