Key figures for enlargement countries

Data from May 2025.

Planned article update: July 2026.

Highlights

In 2023, the population density of the enlargement countries ranged from 46 inhabitants per km² in Montenegro to 111 in Türkiye. In the EU, the estimated population density was 109.

In the enlargement countries, GDP per capita at current market prices was between €6 500 in Albania (2022 data) and €12 510 in Serbia in 2024. In comparison, it was €39 680 in the EU.

In 2024, the share of households with internet access at home ranged from 84.2% in Bosnia and Herzegovina to 97.7% in Albania (2023 data). In the EU, 94.1% of households had internet access at home.

In 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina had the widest unemployment gender gap among the enlargement countries, with 6.8 percentage points (pp) higher unemployment for women than for men. Only North Macedonia had higher unemployment for men than for women (-0.8 pp, 2020 data).

This article is part of an online publication and provides information on six main topics for the the enlargement countries and compares this with the corresponding data for the European Union (EU).

For the articles forming this online publication, only data are used which have been submitted to and validated by Eurostat's subject matter units following the same process as for the EU countries. For Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, data for several sectors are not yet transmitted according to this process, thus they are not yet available. However, data on these countries are also presented in the Statistics Explained articles for ENP-East countries, which are based on data supplied by and under the responsibility of the national statistical authorities of each country on a voluntary basis. These data are not validated by Eurostat’s subject matter units.

The article includes information relating to population density; gross domestic product (GDP) measured in € per capita; inequality in disposable income measured by the Gini coefficient; energy productivity expressed in gross value added (GVA) per kilogram of oil equivalent (kgoe); internet access of households, and the gender gap with respect to unemployment.

Population density

Data on population density, measured in number of inhabitants per square kilometre (km²), are illustrated in Figure 1 for the enlargement countries and compared with the EU. Data are not available for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo^[1].

In 2023, Türkiye had the highest population density among the enlargement countries, at 111 inhabitants per km², and was the only enlargement country with a higher density than the 109 inhabitants per km² estimated in the EU. Albania followed with an estimated population density of 99 (2022 data). The population density was 91 inhabitants per km² in Serbia (2019 data), 74 in North Macedonia (2022 data), and 46 in Montenegro.

Figure 1: Population density, 2023
Source: Eurostat (demo_r_d3dens).

Gross domestic product per capita

GDP per capita (per inhabitant) is a broad economic indicator that may be used for a basic analysis of living standards. By removing the influence of population size, GDP per capita makes comparisons between countries of different sizes easier and more relevant.

Figure 2 shows GDP per capita at current market prices (i.e. in nominal terms) in the enlargement countries and in the EU in 2024. For converting GDP in national currencies into euro, the average current exchange rate of the reference year has been used. Data for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are not available.

In 2024, the highest GDP per capita among the enlargement countries was recorded in Serbia, with €12 510 (provisional data), followed by Türkiye with €12 080 (2023 data). This represented nearly one third of the value in the EU in 2024, €39 680. In Montenegro, GDP per capita was €11 000 (2023 data), in North Macedonia €7 980 (2023 data, estimated). The lowest GDP per capita was measured in Albania with €6 500 (2022 data), about 6 times lower than in the EU.

Across the enlargement countries, the highest GDP per capita value observed was close to double that of the lowest. In comparison, in 2024 the GDP per capita among the EU countries ranged from €16 110 in Bulgaria to €126 910 in Luxembourg, with the highest value almost 8 times higher than the lowest.

Figure 2: Gross domestic product per capita at current market prices, 2024
Source: Eurostat (nama_10_pc)

Gini coefficient

The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality. It shows the extent to which the incomes within the population differ from the average income: the closer the coefficient is to 100, the less equal are the incomes; the closer the coefficient is to 0, the more equal they are.

In Figure 3, the Gini coefficient for 2024 has been calculated on the basis of the equivalised disposable income, i.e. the sum of all income received by the members of a household, after tax and social contributions but including social benefits, divided by the number of household members (converted into ‘equivalised adults’). Data are not available for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

The income inequality in the EU in 2024 measured by the Gini coefficient, at 29.3, was lower than in all of the enlargement countries. Among these, the income inequalities were the highest in Türkiye, with a coefficient of 44.8. Among the other enlargement countries, income inequalities were relatively similar to each other, with Gini coefficients of 33.0 in Albania (2021 data), 31.7 in Serbia (2023 data), 31.5 in Montenegro (2022 data) and 31.4 in North Macedonia (2020 data).

Figure 3: Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income, 2024
Source: Eurostat (ilc_di12)

Energy productivity

Figure 4 presents the energy productivity for 2022 in the enlargement countries and the EU. It measures the amount of economic output produced per unit of gross available energy (GAE) consumed by the economy. Higher values indicate more efficient use of energy in creating economic value. Gross available energy, in kilograms of oil equivalent (kgoe), represents the quantity needed to satisfy all demand for energy products in the country.

The data reflect the energy efficiency and economic structures of these economies, and can be influenced by many factors, including technological advancements, shifts in the industrial base and energy policy.

The energy productivity of Türkiye was the highest among the enlargement countries in 2022, with €6.7 of economic output per kgoe of energy input. Albania had the second highest energy productivity, at €4.9 per kgoe (2020 data), followed by Montenegro with €3.9 and North Macedonia with €3.3. Serbia and Kosovo both recorded energy productivity of €2.5 per kgoe in 2022, while Bosnia and Herzegovina had a slightly lower productivity of €2.4.

The energy productivity in the EU was higher than in all the enlargement countries, with €9.4 per kgoe in 2022. This may suggest a higher energy efficiency or that a larger share of total gross value added is generated by activities that require less energy.

Figure 4: Energy productivity, 2022
Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_ep).

Households with internet access

The data in Figure 5 presents the share of households in the enlargement countries and the EU that had internet access at home in 2024. The data are independent of the type of device households used or the type of connection they have.

In Albania, 97.7% of households had access to internet at home (2023 data). Türkiye with 96.5% and Kosovo with 96.4% (2020 data) followed closely. All 3 had higher shares than the EU, where 94.1% of households had internet access at home in 2024.

In the other enlargement countries, the shares were lower than in the EU: 90.8% of households had internet access at home in North Macedonia, 88.9% in Serbia, and 84.5% in Montenegro. With 84.2% of households having internet access at home in 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded the lowest share among the enlargement countries.

Figure 5: Households with access to internet at home, 2024
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_in_h).

Unemployment gender gap

The unemployment rate is calculated for the economically active population (also called the labour force), in Figure 6 for the population aged between 20 and 64. The gender gap is defined as the difference between the unemployment rates for women and men, respectively, calculated as the rate for women minus that for men. The gap is measured in percentage points (pp) difference. Positive values indicate a higher unemployment rate for women than for men.

Figure 6 presents the unemployment gender gap in the enlargement countries and in the EU for the year 2024. Data for Albania and Kosovo are not available.

In 2024, the unemployment rate for women was 6.8 pp higher than for men in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the widest unemployment gender gap among the enlargement countries. The second largest gap was recorded in Türkiye, where the unemployment rate for women was 4.8 pp higher than for men.

In Montenegro, the unemployment gender gap was substantially smaller, with a gap of 1.2 pp (2020 data). In Serbia, the unemployment rate for women was just 0.4 pp higher than for men, the same gender gap as in the EU. North Macedonia was the only enlargement country where the rate for men was higher than that for women, with an unemployment gender gap of -0.8 pp (2020 data).

Figure 6: Unemployment gender gap of 20-64 years old, 2024
Source: Eurostat (lfsa_urgan).

Source data for tables and graphs

Enlargement countries — Key figures: visuals

Data sources

The enlargement countries provide data directly to Eurostat's subject matter units, responsible for the respective statistical sectors; these data have been used in this article. The same process applies to Eurostat's regular data collection from EU countries. These statistics are available free of charge on Eurostat's website.

While basic principles and institutional frameworks for producing statistics are already in place, the enlargement countries are expected to increase the volume and quality of their data progressively, and to transmit these data to Eurostat in the context of the EU enlargement process. ESS standards in the field of statistics require the existence of a statistical infrastructure based on principles such as professional independence, impartiality, relevance, confidentiality of individual data and easy access to official statistics; they cover methodology, classifications and standards for production.

For more details on the specific surveys and data collections providing the data presented in this overview article, please consult the 'Data sources' section of the respective thematic articles for the enlargement countries.

Context

Eurostat has the responsibility to ensure that statistical production of the enlargement countries comply with the EU acquis in the field of statistics. To do so, Eurostat supports the national statistical offices and other producers of official statistics through a range of initiatives, such as pilot surveys, training courses, traineeships, study visits, workshops and seminars, and participation in meetings within the ESS. The ultimate goal is the provision of harmonised, high-quality data that conforms to European and international standards.

Additional information on statistical cooperation with the enlargement countries is provided in the Statistics explained background article [Enlargement policy and statistical cooperation Enlargement policy and statistical cooperation].

Footnotes

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. ↑