Statistics Explained

Welcome To Statistics Explained

Statistics Explained, your guide to European statistics. Statistics Explained is an official Eurostat website presenting statistical topics in an easily understandable way. Together, the articles make up an encyclopedia of European statistics for everyone, completed by a statistical glossary clarifying all terms used and by numerous links to further information and the latest data and metadata, a portal for occasional and regular users.

To find the information you need, please select a theme from the menu below or use the coloured boxes on the right. The search function (alt-f) can also be used.

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New / updated articles

Amenable and preventable deaths statistics

New 05/08/2015

This article presents statistics on two different indicators of avoidable mortality: amenable and preventable deaths. The concept of amenable and preventable mortality is based on the idea that certain deaths (for specific age groups and according to specific diseases as defined by the ICD classification, see the section data sources and availability) could be 'avoided', that means would not have occurred at this stage, if there had been more effective public health and medical interventions in place. More ...

Air pollution statistics

Updated 04/08/2015

This article highlights the emission levels of air pollutants in the European Union (EU). The air pollutants comprise those generally reported under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention) and include: sulphur oxides (SOx), ammonia (NH₃), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) conducive to acidification, eutrophication or ozone formation. Greenhouse gas emissions, however, are not analysed here, but in a specific article. More ...

Industrial turnover index overview

Updated 03/08/2015

This article provides an overview of the development of the industrial turnover indicator in the European Union (EU), the euro area and the European Member states over recent years and describes how it is compiled. The index of industrial turnover is a business cycle indicator which measures the monthly development of turnover in the European industry. More ...

Inflation in the euro area

Updated 31/07/2015

The data in this article show the most recent annual rates of change for the euro area headline inflation and its main components issued by Eurostat. The figures presented are early estimates of euro area inflation. More ...

Unemployment statistics

Updated 31/07/2015

This article presents the very latest unemployment figures for the European Union (EU), the euro area and individual Member States, complemented by an overview of long-term developments since the year 2000. Unemployment levels and rates move in a cyclical manner, largely related to the general business cycle. However, other factors such as labour market policies and demographic developments may also influence the short and long-term evolution. More ...

People outside the labour market

Updated 30/07/2015

This article analyses labour market participation in the European Union (EU), broken down by sex and age, on the basis of the results of the EU Labour force survey (EU-LFS). In 2014, the number of inactive persons as a percentage of the working age population in the EU-28 reached a new low of 27.7 %, continuing the downward trend of the previous years. This positive development is largely due to the increased participation of women in the labour market. More ...

Did you know that....

In 2012, the highest number of patent applications relative to the population was reported by Sweden (290 per million inhabitants), Germany (278) and Finland (271). Read more...

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Migration and migrant population statistics

This article presents European Union (EU) statistics on international migration, population stocks of national and foreign (non-national) citizens and data relating to the acquisition of citizenship. Migration is influenced by a combination of economic, political and social factors: either in a migrant’s country of origin (push factors) or in the country of destination (pull factors). Historically, the relative economic prosperity and political stability of the EU are thought to have exerted a considerable pull effect on immigrants.

In destination countries, international migration may be used as a tool to solve specific labour market shortages. However, migration alone will almost certainly not reverse the ongoing trend of population ageing experienced in many parts of the EU.

Main statistical findings

Migration flows

A total of 3.4 million people immigrated to one of the EU-28 Member States during 2013, while at least 2.8 million emigrants were reported to have left an EU Member State. These total figures do not represent the migration flows to/from the EU as a whole, since they also include flows between different EU Member States.

Among these 3.4 million immigrants during 2013 there were an estimated 1.4 million citizens of non-member countries, 1.2 million people with citizenship of a different EU Member State from the one to which they immigrated, around 830 thousand people who migrated to an EU Member State of which they had the citizenship (for example returning nationals or nationals born abroad), and around 6.1 thousand stateless people.

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