Statistics Explained

Did you know that....

In 2017, there were on average 1.59 live births per woman in the EU-28, ranging from 1.31 in Spain to 1.90 in France. Read more...

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.

New / updated articles

Services trade statistics by modes of supply

Updated 22/03/2019

EU trade competitiveness can be described by comparing the ratio of net trade (exports minus imports) to total trade (exports plus imports). Table 1 presents these results for goods and services. The EU’s trade competitiveness ratio for total services (taken into account all four modes of supply) was 5.3 %, while for goods it was 3.9 %. This indicates that trade in services may result in a relatively greater surplus than goods trade. More ...

Government expenditure on education

Updated 15/03/2019

In 2017, general government expenditure on 'education' in the EU-28 amounted to EUR 715 billion or 4.6 % of GDP. Of this, 'pre-primary and primary education' accounted for 1.5 % of GDP and secondary education accounted for 1.8 % of GDP. For tertiary education, an average of 0.7 % of GDP was reported. More ...

Waste shipment statistics

Updated 21/03/2019

Between 2001 and 2016, the amount of hazardous waste shipments from EU Member States to other EU Member States or out of the EU increased by 63 %, from 4.0 million tonnes in 2001 to 6.5 million tonnes in 2016, peaking in 2007 at 8.1 million tonnes. There was an increase of 23 % from 2012 to 2013, largely due to increased export from Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Sweden and Italy showed the largest decrease of hazardous waste shipments during this period. More ...

Labour cost structural statistics - levels

Updated 20/03/2019

In 2016, the mean hourly labour cost in the European Union (EU) was EUR 26.3 per hour worked and EUR 29.8 in the euro area (EA). In the economic sector "financial and insurance activities" (NACE Rev.2 Section K) it was 68.4 % higher than the EU average (EUR 44.3), while in the economic sector "accommodation and food service activities" (NACE Rev. 2 Section I) it was 41.1 % lower (EUR 15.5). More ...

International trade in goods

Updated 20/03/2019

Among the EU Member States, Germany had by far the highest share of extra EU-28 trade in 2018, contributing 28.0 % of the EU-28’s exports of goods to non-member countries and accounting for almost one fifth (18.6 %) of the EU-28’s imports (see Figure 7). The next three largest exporters, the United Kingdom (11.0 %), Italy (10.5 %) and France (10.4 %), remained the same as in 2017 and were the only other EU Member States to account for a double-digit share of EU-28 exports. More ...

Labour cost structural statistics - changes

Updated 20/03/2019

Over the period 2008-2016, the mean hourly labour cost in the European Union (EU) has increased by 19 % in the EU and 17 % in the euro area. The countries with the highest increases in labour cost between 2008 and 2016 were Bulgaria (+73.8 %) and Latvia (+30.3 %). More ...

Looking for an article on a specific theme

General and regional statistics/EU policies

Economy and finance

Population and social conditions

Industry and services

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

International trade

Transport

Environment and energy

Science, technology and digital society

Looking for an article on a specific theme

General and regional statistics/EU policies

Economy and finance

Population and social conditions

Industry and services

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

International trade

Transport

Environment and energy

Science, technology and digital society

New / updated articles

Services trade statistics by modes of supply

Updated 22/03/2019

EU trade competitiveness can be described by comparing the ratio of net trade (exports minus imports) to total trade (exports plus imports). Table 1 presents these results for goods and services. The EU’s trade competitiveness ratio for total services (taken into account all four modes of supply) was 5.3 %, while for goods it was 3.9 %. This indicates that trade in services may result in a relatively greater surplus than goods trade. More ...

Government expenditure on education

Updated 15/03/2019

In 2017, general government expenditure on 'education' in the EU-28 amounted to EUR 715 billion or 4.6 % of GDP. Of this, 'pre-primary and primary education' accounted for 1.5 % of GDP and secondary education accounted for 1.8 % of GDP. For tertiary education, an average of 0.7 % of GDP was reported. More ...

Waste shipment statistics

Updated 21/03/2019

Between 2001 and 2016, the amount of hazardous waste shipments from EU Member States to other EU Member States or out of the EU increased by 63 %, from 4.0 million tonnes in 2001 to 6.5 million tonnes in 2016, peaking in 2007 at 8.1 million tonnes. There was an increase of 23 % from 2012 to 2013, largely due to increased export from Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Sweden and Italy showed the largest decrease of hazardous waste shipments during this period. More ...

Labour cost structural statistics - levels

Updated 20/03/2019

In 2016, the mean hourly labour cost in the European Union (EU) was EUR 26.3 per hour worked and EUR 29.8 in the euro area (EA). In the economic sector "financial and insurance activities" (NACE Rev.2 Section K) it was 68.4 % higher than the EU average (EUR 44.3), while in the economic sector "accommodation and food service activities" (NACE Rev. 2 Section I) it was 41.1 % lower (EUR 15.5). More ...

International trade in goods

Updated 20/03/2019

Among the EU Member States, Germany had by far the highest share of extra EU-28 trade in 2018, contributing 28.0 % of the EU-28’s exports of goods to non-member countries and accounting for almost one fifth (18.6 %) of the EU-28’s imports (see Figure 7). The next three largest exporters, the United Kingdom (11.0 %), Italy (10.5 %) and France (10.4 %), remained the same as in 2017 and were the only other EU Member States to account for a double-digit share of EU-28 exports. More ...

Labour cost structural statistics - changes

Updated 20/03/2019

Over the period 2008-2016, the mean hourly labour cost in the European Union (EU) has increased by 19 % in the EU and 17 % in the euro area. The countries with the highest increases in labour cost between 2008 and 2016 were Bulgaria (+73.8 %) and Latvia (+30.3 %). More ...

Did you know that....

In 2017, there were on average 1.59 live births per woman in the EU-28, ranging from 1.31 in Spain to 1.90 in France. Read more...

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Tourism statistics at regional level

Nights spent in tourist accommodation, by NUTS 2 regions, 2016 (million nights spent by residents and non-residents)

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