In 2021, the rate of enterprise births in the EU was 10.7% while the preliminary rate of enterprise deaths stood at 8.5%. In most EU countries more companies were created than dissolved. The exceptions to this were Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Poland, Denmark and Germany where the number of enterprises dissolved surpassed the number of companies created. This information comes […]
Eurostat: Plastic bag use continues to fall in the European Union
In 2021, each person living in the EU consumed on average 77 lightweight plastic carrier bags (LPCBs), which is 11 bags less per person, compared with 2020. Overall, 34.2 billion (bn) lightweight plastic carrier bags were consumed in the EU in 2021 (-4.8 bn bags compared with 2020). This information comes from data on lightweight plastic carrier bags published by Eurostat […]
Eurostat: Income inequality across the EU
In 2022, the median equivalised disposable income in the EU was 18 706 purchasing power standards (PPS) per inhabitant, increasing from 18 011 PPS recorded in 2021. At the national level, the EU countries with the highest median disposable incomes in 2022 were Luxembourg (33 214 PPS), the Netherlands (25 437 PPS), Austria (25 119 PPS), Belgium (24 142 PPS), Denmark (23 244 PPS) and Germany (23 197 PPS). […]
Eurostat records changes in employment rates in the EU
The EU employment rate in 2022 reached its historical high at 74.6 %, however, when examining regional data, significant differences emerge beneath the EU average. The EU employment rate in 2022 reached its historical high at 74.6 %, however, when examining regional data, significant differences emerge beneath the EU average. The highest regional employment rate among NUTS 2 regions in 2022 was recorded […]
Which regions have the most highly-skilled employed people?
Highly-skilled workers are essential to modern economies, driving innovation, productivity and growth. Employed people with high-skills are defined as people aged 25–64 who are employed in the following occupations: managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals. In 2022, there were approximately 80 million highly-skilled people employed across the EU, accounting for 44.2% of the total number […]
EU aquaculture in 2021: 1.1 million tonnes farmed
In 2021, an estimated 1.1 million tonnes of aquatic organisms were farmed in the EU, valued at €4.2 billion. Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, involves the controlled cultivation of fish, molluscs, and crustaceans. Four EU countries collectively accounted for about two-thirds (68%) of the total production of farmed aquatic organisms in 2021: Spain 25%, France 17%, and […]
Foreign language learning increases among EU students
The majority of pupils in primary and secondary education in the EU study at least one foreign language: in 2021, this consisted of 86.3% of pupils in primary education, 98.5% of students in lower secondary and 91.0% in upper secondary education. In 2021, 61.0% of students in upper secondary general education (ISCED level 34) studied […]
Eurostat: When do young Europeans leave their parental home?
In 2022, young people across the EU left their parental home on average at the age of 26.4 years. However, this average varied among EU countries. The highest average ages, at 30 years or above, were recorded in Croatia (33.4 years), Slovakia (30.8), Greece (30.7), Bulgaria and Spain (both 30.3), Malta (30.1) and Italy (30.0). In contrast, the lowest […]
The EU has presented at the United Nations its first Voluntary Review on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The European Union has presented at the United Nations in New York its first Voluntary Review on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The review underlines the EU’s unequivocal commitment to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides an overview of how EU internal and external actions are contributing […]