Money Buzz! Europa

Tag: eurostat

  • How many students and teachers were in the EU in 2018?

    How many students and teachers were in the EU in 2018?

    Eurostat most recent available official data are from 2018, when there were around 76.2 million pupils and students enrolled in schools and pre-schools in the EU across all of these education levels.

    However, the exact sum without rounding was closer to 76.1 million.

    There were 15.7 million children in early childhood education. In primary education, typically starting at ages 5 to 7 years old and lasting around six years, there were 24.5 million pupils enrolled.

    Secondary education is divided in lower and upper level.

    In 2018, 18.3 million students were enrolled in lower secondary education, with students typically entering when they are 10 to 13 years old, typically finishing nine years after the start of primary education when students are at an age of 15-16 year old.

    Finally, there were 17.7 million students in upper secondary education in 2018, covering both general studies and vocational studies. Upper secondary school typically ends 12-13 years after the students entered their primary education.

    Altogether,

    How many students each teacher is responsible for?

    For the pre-school children, there was on average one educator per 10.9 children in 2018. For primary school, the classes were somewhat larger, with on average 13.6 pupils per teacher.

    At secondary level, teachers are usually specialised and teach specific subjects to different classes.

    On average in the EU, there were 12.0 students per teacher at lower secondary level and 11.3 at upper secondary level in 2018.

  • EU Member States spent €301 billion altogether on family benefits

    EU Member States spent €301 billion altogether on family benefits

    The 27 EU Member States spent €301 billion altogether on family benefits in 2017 (2.3% of EU GDP), Eurostat data shows.

    This represented 8.6% of the total spent on social protection benefits.

    The share of social protection expenditure on family benefits varied significantly between EU Member States. It accounted for more than 15% of total social benefits only in Luxembourg (15.3%), followed by Poland (13.4%) and Estonia (13.1%).

    The lowest shares were registered in the Netherlands (4.2%) and Portugal (4.9%).

    The annual family benefits expenditure per inhabitant, highest in Luxembourg, lowest in Romania

    The annual family benefits expenditure per inhabitant was also highest in Luxembourg (€3,100 per inhabitant), followed by Denmark (€1,700), Sweden (€1,400), Germany (€1,300) and Finland (€1,200).

    Eurostat noted that the value is overestimated for Luxembourg compared with other countries, as a significant proportion of benefits are paid to persons living outside the country.

    In 2017, three countries had family benefits expenditure below €200 per inhabitant: Romania (€100), Bulgaria (€130) and Lithuania (€180).

  • Where are the densest motorway networks across EU regions

    Where are the densest motorway networks across EU regions

    Most European capitals and large cities are surrounded by a ring of motorways in order to meet the high demand for road transport originating from these metropolitan areas.

    As a result, dense motorway networks can be found around capitals such as Budapest (120 km per 1000 km2), Wien (109 km per 1000 km2), Madrid (96 km per 1000 km2), Prague and Berlin (both 91 km per 1000 km2).

    Since the motorways are generally concentrated in a ring close to the cities, the motorway density often decreases with the size of the area. For example, the motorway density reported for relatively small region of Wien is higher than for the much larger region of Île-de-France, even though the motorway network of Paris is larger per se.

    Other densely populated regions with high motorway density include the Randstad region in the western part of the Netherlands: Zuid-Holland (127 km per 1000 km2), Utrecht (125 km per 1000 km2) and Noord-Holland (108 km per 1000 km2).

    High motorway densities are also found around the major seaports of northern Europe: the motorway densities of the regions of Bremen (205 km per 1000 km2) with the port of Bremerhaven, of Zuid-Holland with the port of Rotterdam (127 km per 1000 km2) and of Hamburg (114 km per 1000 km2) are among the highest of all European regions.

    Another reason for the high density of the motorway network in some central European countries (such as Germany) is the proportionately high volume of transit freight traffic.

    The density of motorways on islands is generally low, as islands cannot be reached directly by road. Instead, they rely on sea or air transport. Even so, the motorway density of the Canary Islands appears relatively high at 37 km per 1000 km².

  • Three quarters of utility workers in EU are men

    Three quarters of utility workers in EU are men

    Eurostat shows that in 2019, 4.6 million persons aged 15 years or older were employed in the utilities sector in the European Union (EU), representing 2.3% of all persons employed.

    The utilities sector covers electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (31% of the employment in the sector), waste collection, treatment and disposal activities (22%), telecommunications (19%), retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised store (10%), water collection, treatment and supply (9%), manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (4%), sewerage (3%), as well as remediation activities and other waste management services (1%), extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas (1%) and support activities for petroleum and natural gas extraction (1%).

    The utilities sector is male dominated

    In 2019, almost three quarters (73%) of the workers in the sector were men. Most of the workers employed in this sector in the EU were aged 35-49 (40%), while one in three (33%) were aged 50 or above.

    Only one quarter (27%) of the workers in the sector were aged 15-34.

  • 15.9 million people were employed in the food supply sector in EU

    15.9 million people were employed in the food supply sector in EU

    In 2019, 15.9 million people aged over 15 were employed in the food supply sector in the European Union (EU), representing 8% of total employment, Eurostat shows.

    Almost half of people employed in the food supply sector worked in crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities (46%).

    Meanwhile, jobs in the manufacture of food products accounted for 26% of employment of this sector, followed by jobs in: retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (15%), wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco (8%), manufacture of beverages (3%), wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals (2%) and fishing and aquaculture (1%).

    The majority of food supply workers were men (59%) although the gender distribution varied with the activities: fishing and aquaculture recorded 88% of men while retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco registered 63% of women.

    As regards the distribution by age groups, over one-third (38%) of people employed in the food supply sector in the EU were aged 35 to 49, while people aged 50 or above accounted for 34% and those aged 15-34 for 28%.

    Romania recorded the highest share of food supply workers

    Among the EU Member States, Romania recorded the highest share of food supply workers (23%), followed by Greece (18%) and Poland (14%). By contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Luxembourg and Sweden (both 3%), followed by Denmark (4%).

    Germany is the only EU Member State where women were predominant in the food supply (52% of women and 48% of men) while Ireland recorded the highest share of men (78%), followed by Malta (72%) and Luxembourg (69%).

    In addition, only five EU Member States (Cyprus, Denmark, Malta, the Netherlands and Sweden) had their workers aged 15-34 dominating the food supply sector.

    In a majority (16 out of 27) of the EU Member States, the largest shares of food supply workers were in the 35-49 age group, with the highest shares reported in Bulgaria, Czechia, Spain and Hungary (all 43%), while in six EU Member States (Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia), people aged 50 and above accounted for the largest share of food supply workers.

  • 9.6% of the EU population spent 40% of household income on housing

    9.6% of the EU population spent 40% of household income on housing

    Many households have experienced steep falls in their disposable income during the current coronavirus pandemic, due to e.g. unemployment, furlough, reduced working time or less clients or turnover.

    Housing costs are generally fixed in the short term, and will inevitably leave less for other costs when the household’s income falls.  

    The housing cost overburden rate for the EU was 9.6% in 2018

    However, there were large differences between the different EU Member States. In 11 Member States, less than 6.0% of the population lived in households being overburdened by housing costs.

    It was particularly rare to experience such problems in Malta (only 1.7% of the population) and Cyprus (2.0%).  

    In contrast, the housing cost overburden rate stood at 10% or more in Romania, Germany, Denmark and Bulgaria.

    The overburdening was most widespread in Greece, where 39.5% of the population lived in households spending more than 40% of the disposable income on housing.

    These differences may, at least partially, reflect differences in national policies for social housing or public subsidies and benefits provided for housing.  

  • 2.8 million unemployed europeans found work in Q4 2019

    2.8 million unemployed europeans found work in Q4 2019

    Eurostat shows that between the third quarter of 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2019, the last quarter before COVID-19 containment measures began to be widely introduced by Member States, 2.8 million people in the EU (21.4% of all unemployed in the third quarter of 2019) found a job.

    During this period, 7.2 million (55.4%) remained unemployed and a further 3.0 million (23.2%) became economically inactive.

    Of all those initially in employment in the third quarter of 2019, 2.1 million (1.3%) became unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2019, and 3.5 million (2.3%) transitioned into economic inactivity.

    From those initially counted as economically inactive in the third quarter of 2019, 3.4 million (3.4%) moved into employment in the fourth quarter of 2019, and 3.3 million (3.3%) transitioned into unemployment.

  • 98.9% of enterprises in the EU had fewer than 49 persons employed

    98.9% of enterprises in the EU had fewer than 49 persons employed

    In 2017, an overwhelming majority (98.9%) of enterprises in the European Union’s non-financial business economy were enterprises with fewer than 49 persons employed (small enterprises), followed by medium enterprises (50-249 persons employed) with 0.9% of all enterprises, Eurostat data shows.

    In contrast, just 0.2% of all enterprises had 250 or more persons employed and were therefore classified as large enterprises.

    In 2017, there were 22.2 million SMEs in the EU’s nonfinancial business economy, contributing to over half of total value added (56%, EUR 3.5 billion).

    SMEs employed 83.9 million people in 2017, accounting for 67% of all employed. Over half of them were employed in three economic activities: distributive trades sector (20.7 million people, 27% of small enterprises’ and 19% of medium-sized enterprises’ employment), manufacturing (15.8 million people, 14% and 33%) and construction (10.2 million, 14% and 7%).

    Among EU Member States with available data, the share of people employed by small enterprises was highest in Portugal, where small enterprises employed 61% of all the employed, closely followed by Spain (58%), Latvia and Estonia (both 57%) as well as Slovakia (56%).

    Medium-sized enterprises employed the highest shares of people in Luxembourg (25%), closely followed by Lithuania (23%), Estonia and Latvia (both 22%).

  • 64% of EU citizens living with children had basic digital skills

    64% of EU citizens living with children had basic digital skills

    In the European Union (EU) in 2019, almost two-thirds of individuals (64%) aged 16 to 74 living in a household with children under 16 years old had basic or above basic digital skills, show Eurostat.

    This was one percentage point (pp) higher than 2017 (63%) and up by 3 pp from 2015 (61%). In contrast, 28% of individuals living in a household with children aged 0-16, reported that they had low overall digital skills.

    The share of individuals living in a household without children with basic or above basic digital skills was by 11 pp lower (53%) compared to those living with children (64%).

    Among EU Member States, Finland had the highest share of individuals aged 16 to 74 living in a household with children under 16 years’ old who reported that they had basic or above basic overall digital skills (88%), followed by the Netherlands (83%), Sweden (81%), Germany and Estonia (both 80%).

    By contrast, the lowest shares were observed in Bulgaria (32%), Romania (34%), Italy (45%), Cyprus (54%) and Poland (55%).

  • Industrial production down by 11.3% in euro area in March 2020

    Industrial production down by 11.3% in euro area in March 2020

    In March 2020, the COVID-19 containment measures widely introduced by EU nations had a significant impact, as industrial production fell by 11.3% in the euro area and by 10.4% in the EU, compared with February 2020, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

    In February 2020, industrial production fell by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU.

    In March 2020 compared with March 2019, industrial production decreased by 12.9% in the euro area and by 11.8% in the EU.

    In the euro area in March 2020, compared with February 2020, production of durable consumer goods fell by 26.3%, capital goods by 15.9%, intermediate goods by 11.0%, energy by 4.0% and non-durable consumer goods by 1.6%.

    In the EU, production of durable consumer goods fell by 23.8%, capital goods by 15.1%, intermediate goods by 9.9%, energy by 3.5% and non-durable consumer goods by 1.2%.

    Italy tops industrial production decline

    Among Member States for which data are available, the largest decreases in industrial production were registered in Italy (-28.4%), Slovakia (-20.3%) and France (-16.4%).

    The highest increases were observed in Ireland (+15.5%), Greece and Finland (both +1.9%) and Lithuania (+0.7%).

  • In 2018, 46% of the EU population lived in flats

    In 2018, 46% of the EU population lived in flats

    In 2018, 46% of the EU population lived in flats, while a small majority of people lived in houses, show latest data published by Eurostat.

    Just over one third (35%) of the population lived in detached houses and almost one fifth (19%) lived in semi-detached or terraced houses.

    Flats were the preferred residence type in nine Member States, notably in Latvia (66%), Spain (65%), Estonia (62%) and Greece (61%).

    The lowest shares were recorded in Ireland (8%) and the Netherlands (20%).

    By contrast, more than two thirds of the population lived in detached houses in Croatia (70%), followed by Slovenia (66%), Hungary and Romania (both 65%), Denmark (53%), Poland and Slovakia (both 50%).

    The Netherlands (58%) and Ireland (52%) were the only EU Member States where more than half of the population lived in a semi-detached house in 2018.

    7 out of 10 persons lived in their own residence

    In 2018, seven out of every ten (70%) persons in the EU lived in a house or flat they owned.

    There were more owners than tenants in every EU Member State in 2018, with the highest shares of owners in Romania (96%), Slovakia (91%), Croatia and Lithuania (both 90%) and the lowest shares in Germany (51%) and Austria (55%).

  • Eurostat: How could coronavirus impact EU tourism?

    Eurostat: How could coronavirus impact EU tourism?

    To gauge the potential loss that the tourism sector will have experienced because of the Covid-19 outbreak restrictions, Eurostat examined tourism figures of the previous two years for the periods of March-June (the ‘spring shoulder season’) and July-August (the ‘peak summer season’).

    Spring and summer are the most popular seasons for Europe’s tourism

    Spring and summer are the most popular seasons for Europe’s tourism industry. In 2019, the number of nights spent by residents and non-residents in EU tourist accommodation establishments during the spring and the peak summer season each accounted for nearly one-third (32%) of the annual total for overnight stays.

    The share of nights spent in these accommodation establishments was particularly high in the month of June for the spring season, accounting for 11% of the annual total, as well as in the months of July (15%) and August (17%). A similar trend is observed for both residents and non-residents of the countries visited.

    Across the EU Member States, the share that the spring season contributes towards annual tourism accommodation stays is relatively similar, ranging from 24% in Croatia and 27% in Bulgaria to 35% in Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta and the Netherlands. For the peak summer season, this share ranged from 23% in Malta to 58% in Croatia.

    390 million trips in spring, 270 million trips during peak summer season

    In spring 2018, EU residents made almost 390 million tourist trips, representing 34% of the annual total. During these trips, they cumulated over 1.8 billion overnight stays and spent €170 billion.

    More than two-thirds (70%) of these trips were inside the country of residence, while 22% of them were trips to other EU countries and 8% to destinations outside the EU. A similar pattern was observed for trips throughout the entire year, including during the peak summer season.

    In summer 2018, over 270 million trips were made by EU residents, accounting for 24% of the annual total. These trips amounted to over 1.9 billion overnight stays and almost €138 billion in tourism spending.

    Spain and Italy top destinations for intra-EU visitors

    The EU residents’ preferred European destinations outside their own country were: Spain, Italy and to a lesser extent France and Germany, which together accounted for 49% of intra-EU trips during spring 2018 and 45% in summer.

    From March to June, Austria dominated the top-5 of preferred intra-EU destinations, in July and August Croatia was among the most popular destinations for EU tourists.

    Luxembourgers prefer to travel abroad during spring and summer

    In 2018, residents of Luxembourg preferred to travel abroad, with almost all their tourist trips (98%) being outside their country of residence in spring and 99% of their trips being abroad during the peak summer season.

    A similar trend was observed for residents in Belgium, where a vast majority of trips during the spring and peak summer season were made outside the country of residence (79%).

    At the other end of the scale, residents in Romania and Spain preferred to travel within their country of residence in spring, making 94% and 90% domestic trips respectively.

    During summer, this was also true for the Greeks, Romanians, Portuguese and Spanish, who took the vast majority of their tourist trips inside their country of residence (95%, 91%, 90% and 89% respectively).