OECD Economic Surveys: European Union 2018

Abstract

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.