This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.

The economic situation and policies of the European Union were reviewed by the Committee on 3 May 2018. The draft report was then revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 4 June 2018.

The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by Aida Caldera Sánchez with contributions by Paul O'Brien and Patrizio Sicari under the supervision of Pierre Beynet. Statistical research assistance was provided by Patrizio Sicari and editorial assistance was provided by Elisabetta Pilati.

The previous Survey of the European Union was issued in June 2016.

Information about the latest as well as previous Surveys and more information about how Surveys are prepared is available at www.oecd.org/eco/surveys.

    
Basic Statistics of the European Union, 2017
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)a

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million)

511.5

 

Population density per km²

116.7

(37.2)

Under 15 (%)

15.5

(17.9)

Life expectancy (years, 2016)c

81.0

(80.5)

Over 65 (%)

18.8

(17.0)

Men

78.2

(77.9)

Foreign-born (%)

11.2

 

Women

83.6

(83.1)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

0.2

(0.6)

Latest general election

May

2014

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

 

 

Value added shares (%, 2016)

 

 

In current prices (billion USD)

17,277

 

Primary sector

1.5

(2.5)

In current prices (billion EUR)

15,326

 

Industry including construction

24.8

(26.7)

Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

1.7

(2.1)

Services

73.7

(70.8)

Per capita (000 USD PPP)

39.2

(42.2)

 

 

 

GENERAL GOVERNMENTd

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure

45.8

(40.6)

Gross financial debt

81.6

 

Revenue

44.9

(37.7)

 

 

 

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

 

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

 

 

 

Machinery and transport equipment

42.2

 

In per cent of GDP

 

 

Other manufactured goods

22.6

 

Exports of goods and services (including intra EU)

45.7

(58.0)

Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

17.7

 

Imports of goods and services (including intra EU)

42.2

(53.3)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

 

 

Current account balance

1.4

(0.4)

Machinery and transport equipment

32.0

 

 

 

 

Other manufactured goods

25.6

 

 

 

 

Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

18.2

 

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate for 15-64 year-olds (%,)

67.7

(67.7)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over, %)

7.6

(5.8)

Men

73.0

(75.4)

Youth (age 15-24, %)

16.8

(11.9)

Women

62.5

(60.1)

Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)

3.4

(1.7)

Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

73.3

(71.1)

Tertiary educational attainment 25-64 year-olds (%)c

31.2

(35.7)

Average hours worked per year (2016)b

1 636

(1 763)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2016)

2.0

(2.3)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2016)c

3.3

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2015)

6.9

(9.2)

Renewables (%)

13.0

(9.6)

Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2016)

0.5

(0.5)

Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 g/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2015)

72.9

(75.2)

 

 

 

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2016)c

0.308

(0.311)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

 

 

At risk of poverty rate (%, 2016)

10.9

 

Reading

486

(493)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

 

 

Mathematics

487

(490)

Health care, current expenditure (2016)b

8.6

(9.0)

Science

487

(493)

Pensions (2013)b

9.5

(9.1)

Share of women in parliament (%, April 2018)

30.1

(29.7)

Education (primary, secondary, post sec. non tertiary, 2014)

3.4

(3.7)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI)

0.34

(0.40)

Better life index : www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

Note: Average of European Union 28 countries unless otherwise indicated.

a. Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

b. Average of the European Union member countries that are also members of the OECD (22 countries) plus Lithuania.

c. Latest available year for the OECD average.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: Eurostat, OECD, International Energy Agency, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union.