In 2023, 78.3 million people in the EU aged 15 to 74 were employed in science and technology, indicating a 2.9% increase compared with 2022. When looking at 2013, data show a substantial rise of 25% in the last decade (62.5 million people). Science and technology occupations comprise those whose main tasks require either a […]
People at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the European Union in 2023
In 2023, 94.6 million people in the EU (21% of the population) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, i.e. lived in households experiencing at least one of the three poverty and social exclusion risks: risk of poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and/or living in a household with very low work intensity. The figure slightly decreased compared with 2022 […]
Increase in tourist overnight stays in the European Union in 2024
In the first quarter of 2024, there were 452.6 million overnight stays in tourist accommodations across the EU, marking a 7% increase compared with the same quarter of 2023. January recorded 133.9 million nights (+3% compared with January 2023), February 149.2 million (+6%) and March 169.5 million (+9%). This information comes from monthly data on tourist accommodation up to […]
Eurostat: do you know in which EU country people work the longest hours?
In 2023, the actual weekly working hours for people aged 20-64 in their main job, in the EU, averaged 36.1 hours. A closer look at EU countries reveals notable differences. The longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), Romania (39.5), Poland (39.3) and Bulgaria (39.0). By contrast, the Netherlands had the shortest working […]
Eurostat: EU natural gas demand falls by 7.4% in 2023
The EU‘s demand for natural gas has been declining for 2 consecutive years. After a 13.3% yearly decrease in 2022, demand fell by another 7.4% in 2023, totalling 12.72 million terajoules in 2023. This also marks the lowest demand recorded since the collection of monthly cumulated data began in 2008. This reduction has been affected by measures outlined […]
Decline in EU livestock population in 2023
In 2023, the EU‘s livestock populations were lower than a year earlier. Compared with 2022, the pig and bovine populations decreased by 1%, while sheep declined by 3%, and goats by 5%. In 2023, the EU had 133 million pigs, 74 million bovine animals, 58 million sheep, and 11 million goats. This information comes from provisional data […]
Early school leavers: Spain has the second highest rate in the European Union in 2023
In 2023, the share of ‘early school leavers’ (young people aged 18-24 leaving early from education and training) in the EU was 9.5%. The share has steadily decreased over the last 10 years (from 11.8% in 2013), bringing the EU members closer to the target of reducing the rates of early school leavers to below […]
Immigration law enforcement in the EU: 2023 figures
In 2023, 118 935 non-EU citizens were refused entry into the EU territory at one of its external borders, a 16% decrease compared with 142 420 in the previous year. An additional 1.27 million people were found to be illegally present in one of the EU countries, indicating a 13% increase compared with 1.12 million in 2022. This information […]
Eurostat: Spain recorded the highest life expectancy in the EU in 2023
According to preliminary 2023 data, life expectancy at birth in the EU was 81.5 years, up by 0.9 years from 2022, and 0.2 years compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019. This information comes from the provisional data on life expectancy published by Eurostat. In 15 countries, life expectancy exceeded the EU average, with the highest life expectancy recorded for […]