Accessing European statistics

Latest update of text: March 2023

The simplest way to obtain Eurostat’s wide range of statistical information is through its website. Eurostat provides users with free access to its databases and all of its publications. The website is updated daily and presents the latest and most comprehensive statistical information available on the European Union (EU), its Member States, EFTA countries, as well as candidate countries and potential candidates. It also provides access to a narrower range of data covering other non-member countries, for example, other neighbouring countries (principally those to the east and south), as well as other major economies, such as Japan or the United States.

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Statistical themes

The information on Eurostat’s website under the heading of ‘Statistical themes’ (alternatively, click on ‘Data > Statistical themes’ in the top menu bar of most webpages on the Eurostat website) provides links to:

EU policy indicators (statistics for European policies and high-priority initiatives);
Statistics by theme:
- General and regional statistics;
- Economy and finance;
- Population and social conditions;
- Industry, trade and services;
- Agriculture and fisheries;
- International trade;
- Transport;
- Environment and energy;
- Science, technology and digital society.

For each of these themes, the user is presented with a range of different subthemes. These subthemes are presented through ‘dedicated sections’ on each subject area, with links to information for data (main tables and databases), legislation, methodology, publications and other background information.

Access to data

Data navigation tree

The majority of Eurostat’s statistics may be accessed from the data navigation tree; alternatively, click on ‘Data > Database’ in the top menu bar of most webpages on the Eurostat website.

The data navigation tree is based on the nine statistical themes presented above and is collapsible and expandable. It has four main branches:

Detailed datasets containing all data publicly available from Eurostat. They are presented in multi-dimensional datasets with selection features that allow tailor-made presentations and extractions. The interface is called the Data Browser and it provides an intuitive way to create tailor-made presentations and extractions.
Selected datasets offering a selection of Eurostat data offering fewer indicators and variables than the detailed datasets. Data are presented in 2 or 3 dimensional tables.
EU policies presenting datasets organised according to specific EU policies.
Cross-cutting offering a selection of statistical topics that are obtained from different data sources and collections.

Online data codes

Eurostat online data codes, such as tps00001 and nama_gdp_c ^[1], allow easy access to the most recent data on Eurostat’s website; these codes are given as part of the source below each table, figure or map.

Users can access the freshest data by typing a standardised hyperlink into a web browser — https:/ /ec.europa.eu/eurostat/product?code=<data_code>&mode=view — where <data_code> is to be replaced by the online data code printed under the table or figure in question. The data are presented in the data browser interface.

Online data codes can also be fed into the ‘Search’ function on Eurostat’s website, which is presented in the top right-hand corner of most Eurostat webpages. The results from such a search present related dataset(s), publications, euro indicators, news articles, dedicated sections and other information. By clicking on these hyperlinks users are taken to the appropriate dedicated section or to product page(s).

Data in the data navigation tree are updated twice a day at 11:00 and 23:00, Central European Time (CET).

Statistical themes

To obtain more information than just the raw data, you can consult our statistical themes. Each thematic section contains valuable information on the data, publications, methodology, legislation and also offers direct access to all datasets on the topic. The sections provide valuable background information to fully explore a certain topic and its related statistics.

Stats finder A-Z

Haven’t yet found what you are looking for? Try our Stats finder A-Z which lists key words in alphabetical order and provides a direct link to relevant information.

Experimental statistics

Experimental statistics use new data sources and methods to better respond to our users' needs in a timely manner.

As these statistics have not reached full maturity in terms of harmonisation, coverage or methodology, they are always marked as experimental and are accompanied by detailed methodological notes.

Data visualisations

Data visualisations provide easy access to the statistics. They offer an intuitive way to explore the data visually and offer possibilities for detailed analysis. What's more, they provide useful additional information such as definitions or links to source datasets.

Education corner

Do you use statistics when you teach? Or are you a student wanting to understand more about statistics? Then the education corner is the right place for you.

The education corner provides tools and explanations which make statistics easier to grasp.

Publications

Eurostat produces a variety of publications. All publications are available free-of-charge in from Eurostat’s website. A ‘Publications’ tab is accessible from the top menu bar on Eurostat’s website.

Eurostat’s publications programme consists of several collections:

Flagship publications (paper or digital) addressing themes highly relevant for stakeholder. Examples are the Eurostat Regional yearbook and The EU in the World.

Interactive publications are digital publications containing short texts, dynamic infographics, maps, videos, graphs, photos, etc. Examples are Housing in Europe and Regions in Europe - statistics visualised.

Key figures is a series of publications providing short texts and static visulisations giving an overview of a subject. Examples are Key figures on Europe and Key figures on European business.

Manuals and guidelines describe methodologies, guidelines and standards which are actually applied in the European Statistical System (ESS).

Statistical working papers present on-going statistical methodological developments and applied statistical studies.

Statistical reports are quality reports or other papers introducing new or experimental data in one statistical area.

Leaflets are compact guides promoting a statistical domain.

Statistics Explained

Statistics Explained provides easy access to statistical information concerning the EU. It can be accessed from the homepage of the Eurostat website as well as from the right-hand frame of most dedicated sections.

Statistics Explained is an online publishing system about EU statistics which uses MediaWiki technology and resembles Wikipedia. It is a collaborative platform that is used to present statistical articles which together form an encyclopaedia of European statistics, completed by a glossary of the statistical concepts and terms used. In addition, numerous links are provided to the latest data and metadata and to further information, making Statistics Explained a portal for regular and occasional users alike.

Statistics Explained pages in English consists of some 700 statistical articles presenting data, 200 background articles on methodological practices or developments, and some 1 900 glossary pages defining or explaining terms; these numbers are continuously growing.

Reference metadata

Metadata dissemination

Statistical data and metadata exchange (SDMX) content oriented guidelines were adopted in January 2009 by seven international organisations: the Euro SDMX metadata structure (ESMS) is a format based on these. ESMS is used to present methodological information structured according to 21 selected concepts; it is the standard for reference metadata in the ESS.

Reference metadata may be accessed on Eurostat’s website from the heading ‘Metadata’ or alternatively, click on ‘Data > Metadata’ in the top menu bar of most webpages on the Eurostat website. Metadata may also be accessed directly from the data navigation tree, or when viewing databases and main tables.

National reference metadata in ESMS format has been gradually made available to users on Eurostat’s website since 2011.

Quality reporting

In parallel with the expansion of the coverage of national metadata, a new ESS Standard Quality Report Structure has also been introduced. It is the main report structure for reference metadata detailing data quality and uses the main SDMX concepts plus more detailed subconcepts designed to specifically document data quality. It is used for several statistical domains where detailed quality reports are required by legislation from EU Member States.

All the reference metadata concepts used in the different ESS standard report structures are also described in the Single Integrated Metadata Structure available on Eurostat’s website under the quality reporting heading.

User support

Eurostat and the other members of the ESS have set up a system of user support centres. These exist for nearly all of the EU’s official languages and for a range of languages spoken in the EFTA, candidate countries and potential candidates.

In order to offer the best possible and personalised support, requests should, whenever possible, be addressed to the relevant language support centre. The mission of each centre is to provide free-of-charge help and guidance to persons having difficulty in finding the statistical data they require. Contact information for these user support centres is available via the ‘Contact us’ tab on Eurostat’s website.

General advice and assistance can also be found using the ‘Help’ tab on Eurostat’s website, with a Website guide, and information on Products and tools, Services, Frequently asked questions and Accessibility.

Eurostat’s service for journalists

A section dedicated to Press services is available on Eurostat's website.

Statistics make news and they are essential to many reports, features and in-depth analyses. Printed media, as well as radio, television and online information services, use Eurostat data intensively. Eurostat’s press office publishes euro indicators on a key selection of data covering the EU, the euro area, the EU Member States and their partners. All Eurostat euro indicators are made available on Eurostat’s website at 11 a.m. (central European time). Journalists wishing to obtain, on the day of publication, euro indicators or our weekly release calendar by e-mail should contact Eurostat’s press office by phone (+352) 4301 33408 or e-mail eurostat-pressoffice@ec.europa.eu.

News items are produced on a daily basis showing current topics and new data releases through short informative texts and visualisations published on the Eurostat website.

Eurostat’s media support service is dedicated to professional journalists and provides data extractions and explanations of Eurostat’s statistics. The very best is done to answer media requests as quickly as possible in order for journalists to meet their deadlines. Journalists can contact the media support team for information on news releases and to obtain Eurostat statistical data by phone (+352) 4301 33408 or by e-mail eurostat-mediasupport@ec.europa.eu.

Eurostat institutional support

The Eurostat Institutional Support service is dedicated to staff members of all EU Institutions and services. To obtain statistical data, advice on statistical analysis or answers to any other questions on Eurostat products and services, please contact us at (+32) 229 71493 or ESTAT-INSTITUTIONAL-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu

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Notes

↑ There are two types of online data codes: Tables by themes have 8-character codes — the first character of which is the letter ‘t’ — for example, tps00001 or t2020_10, while datasets have codes that use an underscore ‘_’ within the syntax of the code, for example nama_10_a10 or demo_pjan.

[1] There are two types of online data codes: Tables by themes have 8-character codes — the first character of which is the letter ‘t’ — for example, tps00001 or t2020_10, while datasets have codes that use an underscore ‘_’ within the syntax of the code, for example nama_10_a10 or demo_pjan.

[1]