Statistical information European Union 2023
European Union in the World
European Union - Introduction 2023
top of pageBackground: In the aftermath and devastation of the two World Wars, a number of far-sighted European leaders in the late 1940s sought to respond to the overwhelming desire for peace and reconciliation on the continent. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed pooling the production of coal and steel in Western Europe, which would bring France and West Germany together and be open to other countries as well. The following year, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members - Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands - signed the Treaty of Paris.
European Union - Geography 2023
top of pageLocation: Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east
Geographic coordinates
Map reference: Europe
Area
Total: 4,236,351 km²
Rank by area sq km:
1. France (includes five overseas regions) 643,801
2. Spain 505,370
3. Sweden 450,295
4. Germany 357,022
5. Finland 338,145
6. Poland 312,685
7. Italy 301,340
8. Romania 238,391
9. Greece 131,957
10. Bulgaria 110,879
11. Hungary 93,028
12. Portugal 92,090
13. Austria 83,871
14. Czechia 78,867
15. Ireland 70,273
16. Lithuania 65,300
17. Latvia 64,589
18. Croatia 56,594
19. Slovakia 49,035
20. Estonia 45,228
21. Denmark 43,094
22. Netherlands 41,543
23. Belgium 30,528
24. Slovenia 20,273
25. Cyprus 9,251
26. Luxembourg 2,586
27. Malta 316
2. Spain 505,370
3. Sweden 450,295
4. Germany 357,022
5. Finland 338,145
6. Poland 312,685
7. Italy 301,340
8. Romania 238,391
9. Greece 131,957
10. Bulgaria 110,879
11. Hungary 93,028
12. Portugal 92,090
13. Austria 83,871
14. Czechia 78,867
15. Ireland 70,273
16. Lithuania 65,300
17. Latvia 64,589
18. Croatia 56,594
19. Slovakia 49,035
20. Estonia 45,228
21. Denmark 43,094
22. Netherlands 41,543
23. Belgium 30,528
24. Slovenia 20,273
25. Cyprus 9,251
26. Luxembourg 2,586
27. Malta 316
Comparative: less than one half the size of the United States
Land boundaries
Total: 13,770 km
Border countries: (17) Albania 212 km; Andorra 118 km; Belarus 1,176 km; Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km; Holy See 3 km; Liechtenstein 34 km; North Macedonia 396 km; Moldova 683 km; Monaco 6 km; Montenegro 19 km; Norway 2,375 km; Russia 2,435 km; San Marino 37 km; Serbia 1,353 km; Switzerland 1,729 km; Turkey 415 km; United Kingdom 499 km; Ukraine 1,324 km
Note: data for European continent only
Coastline: 53,563.9 km
Maritime claims
Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south
Terrain: fairly flat along Baltic and Atlantic coasts; mountainous in the central and southern areas
Elevation
Highest point: Mont Blanc, France 4,810 m
Lowest point: Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m
Natural resources: iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, fish
Land use
Land use
Irrigated land: 154,539.82 km² (2011 est.)
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources: 1.7 trillion cubic meters (2019)
Natural hazards: flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic Sea region
Geography
European Union - People 2023
top of pagePopulation
Distribution: population distribution varies considerably from country to country but tends to follow a pattern of coastal and river settlement, with urban agglomerations forming large hubs facilitating large scale housing, industry, and commerce; the area in and around the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg (known collectively as Benelux), is the most densely populated area in the EU:
(July 2022 est.) 450,858,381
Growth rate: (2021 est.) 0.10%
Below poverty line: 9.8% (2013 est.)
Below poverty line note: see individual country entries of member states
Nationality
Ethnic groups
Languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish
Note: only the 24 official languages are listed; German, the major language of Germany and Austria, is the most widely spoken mother tongue - about 16% of the EU population; English is the most widely spoken foreign language - about 29% of the EU population is conversant with it; English is an official language in Ireland and Malta and thus remained an official EU language after the UK left the bloc (2020)
Religions: Roman Catholic 41%, Orthodox 10%, Protestant 9%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 2%, other 4% (includes Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu), atheist 10%, non-believer/agnostic 17%, unspecified 3% (2019 est.)
Demographic profile
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.05% (male 34,978,216/female 33,217,600)
15-64 years: 10.39% (male 24,089,260/female 22,990,579)
65 years and over: 20.5% (male 39,834,507/female 53,020,673) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: NA
Youth dependency ratio: NA
Elderly dependency ratio: NA
Potential support ratio: NA
Median age
Total: 44 years (2020)
Male: 42.6 years
Female: 45.5 years
Population growth rate: (2021 est.) 0.10%
Birth rate: (2020 est.) 9.5 births/1,000 population
Death rate: (2021 est.) 10.7 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: -2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Population distribution: population distribution varies considerably from country to country but tends to follow a pattern of coastal and river settlement, with urban agglomerations forming large hubs facilitating large scale housing, industry, and commerce; the area in and around the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg (known collectively as Benelux), is the most densely populated area in the EU
Urbanization
Major urban areas
Environment
Current issues: various forms of air, soil, and water pollution; see individual country entries
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Air pollutants
Carbon dioxide emissions: 2,881.62 megatons (2016 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2021)
Male: 3.32 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3.62 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.63 years (2021)
Male: 72.98 years
Female: 82.51 years
Total fertility rate: (2021 est.) 1.62 children born/woman
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water source
Improved urban: NA
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: NA
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: NA
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:
Hiv/Aids
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 19.5% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 18.9%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 20.4%
Country name
Government type
Capital
Name: Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg, Frankfurt (Germany); note - the European Council, a gathering of member-state heads of state and/or government, and the Council of the European Union, a gathering of member-state cabinet ministers, meet in Brussels, Belgium, except for Council of the EU meetings held in Luxembourg in April, June, and October; the European Parliament meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, France, and has administrative offices in Luxembourg; the Court of Justice of the European Union is located in Luxembourg; and the European Central Bank is located in Frankfurt, Germany
Geographic coordinates: (Brussels) 50 50 N, 4 20 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Time zone note: the 27 European Union member states spread across three time zones; a proposal has been put forward to do away with daylight savings time in all EU member states
Administrative divisions
Dependent areas
Independence: 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the European Union); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
Note: the Treaties of Rome, signed on 25 March 1957 and subsequently entered into force on 1 January 1958, created the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community; a series of subsequent treaties have been adopted to increase efficiency and transparency, to prepare for new member states, and to introduce new areas of cooperation - such as a single currency; the Treaty of Lisbon, signed on 13 December 2007 and entered into force on 1 December 2009 is the most recent of these treaties and is intended to make the EU more democratic, more efficient, and better able to address global problems with one voice
National holiday: Europe Day (also known as Schuman Day), 9 May (1950); note - the day in 1950 that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of what became the European Coal and Steel Community, the progenitor of today's European Union, with the aim of achieving a united Europe
Constitution
History: none; note - the EU legal order relies primarily on two consolidated texts encompassing all provisions as amended from a series of past treaties: the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU); The TEU as modified by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty states in Article 1 that "the HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES establish among themselves a EUROPEAN UNION ... on which the Member States confer competences to attain objectives they have in common"; Article 1 of the TEU states further that the EU is "founded on the present Treaty and on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as 'the Treaties')," both possessing the same legal value; Article 6 of the TEU provides that a separately adopted Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union "shall have the same legal value as the Treaties"
Amendments: European Union treaties can be amended in several ways: 1) Ordinary Revision Procedure (for key amendments to the treaties); initiated by an EU member state, by the European Parliament, or by the European Commission; following adoption of the proposal by the European Council, a convention is formed of national government representatives to review the proposal and a conference of government representatives subsequently reviews the proposal; passage requires ratification by all EU member states; 2) Simplified Revision Procedure (for amendment of EU internal policies and actions); passage of a proposal requires unanimous European Council vote following European Council consultation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Central Bank (if the amendment concerns monetary matters) and requires ratification by all EU member states; 3) Passerelle Clause (allows the alteration of a legislative procedure without a formal amendment of the treaties); 4) Flexibility Clause (permits the EU to decide in subject areas where EU competences have not been explicitly granted in the Treaties but are necessary to the attainment of the objectives set out in the Treaty); note - the Treaty of Lisbon (signed in December 2007 and effective in December 2009) amended the two treaties that formed the EU - the Maastricht Treaty (1992), also known as the TEU, and the Treaty of Rome (1957), known in updated form as the TFEU
Legal system: unique supranational system of laws in which, according to an interpretive declaration of member-state governments appended to the Treaty of Lisbon, "the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States" under conditions laid down in the case law of the Court of Justice; key principles of EU jurisprudence include universal rights as guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and as resulting from constitutional traditions common to the EU's 27 member states; EU law is divided into 'primary' and 'secondary' legislation; primary legislation is derived from the consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and are the basis for all EU action; secondary legislation - which includes directives, regulations, and decisions - is derived from the principles and objectives set out in the treaties
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage: 18 years of age (16 years in Austria); universal; voting for the European Parliament is permitted in each member state
Executive branch:
Legislative branch
Description: two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European Union (27 seats; ministers representing the 27 member states) and the European Parliament (705 seats; seats allocated among member states roughly in proportion to population size; members elected by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms); note - the European Parliament President, Roberta METSOLA, was elected in January 2022 by a majority of fellow members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally; the Council of the EU and the MEPs share responsibilities for adopting the bulk of EU legislation; the two bodies must come to agreement for a commission proposal to become law, after negotiations in which they reconcile differences in each body's text of the proposal, except in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is governed by consensus of the EU member-state governments)
Elections: last held on 23-26 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party (as of 13 April 2023) - EPP 175, S&D 144, RE 101, Greens/EFA 72, ECR 66, ID 62, GUE-NGL 38, non-attached 47; Parliament composition - men 428, women 277, percent of women 39.3%; note - composition of the European Council - men 23, women 4, percent of women 14.8%; total Council and Parliament percent of women 38.4%
Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Justice of the European Union, which includes the Court of Justice (informally known as the European Court of Justice or ECJ) and the General Court (consists of 27 judges, one drawn from each member state); the ECJ includes 11 Advocates General while the General Court can include additional judges; both the ECJ and the General Court may sit in a "Grand Chamber" of 15 judges in special cases but usually in chambers of 3 to 5 judges
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the common consent of the member states to serve 6-year renewable terms
Note: the ECJ is the supreme judicial authority of the EU; it ensures that EU law is interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU, resolves disputes among EU institutions and member states, and reviews issues and opinions regarding questions of EU law referred by member state courts
Political parties and leaders:
International organization participation: ARF, ASEAN (dialogue member), Australian Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CERN, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-10, G-20, IDA, IEA, IGAD (partners), LAIA (observer), NSG (observer), OAS (observer), OECD, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN (observer), UNRWA (observer), WCO, WTO, ZC (observer)
Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stavros LAMBRINIDIS (since 8 April 2019)
In the us chancery: 2,175 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 862-9,500
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mark GITENSTEIN (since 24 January 2022)
From the us embassy: Zinnerstraat - 13 - Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [32] (2) 811-4,100
From the us email address and website: [link]
Flag description
: a blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in the center; blue represents the sky of the Western world, the stars are the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity; the number of stars is fixed
National symbols: a circle of 12, five-pointed, golden yellow stars on a blue field; union colors: blue, yellow
National anthem
Name: "Ode to Joy"
Lyrics/music: no lyrics/Ludwig VAN BEETHOVEN, arranged by Herbert VON KARAJAN
Note: official EU anthem since 1985; the anthem is meant to represent all of Europe rather than just the organization, conveying ideas of peace, freedom, and unity
National heritage
Economy overview
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real gdp growth rate:
Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 54.4% (2016 est.)
Government consumption: 20.4% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.8% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.4% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 43.9% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -40.5% (2016 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.6% (2017 est.)
Industry: 25.1% (2017 est.)
Services: 70.9% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes, dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish
Industries: among the world's largest and most technologically advanced regions, the EU industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverages, furniture, paper, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 6.43% (2021 est.)
Labor force: 217.042 million (2021 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 19.5% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 18.9%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 20.4%
Population below poverty line: 9.8% (2013 est.)
Note: see individual country entries of member states
Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 30.8 (2016 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 2.8%
Highest 10%: 23.8% (2016 est.)
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget
Surplus or deficit: -3% (of GDP) (2014)
Taxes and other revenues: 19.41% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Public debt:
Revenue
From forest resources: 0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Fiscal year: NA
Inflation rate consumer prices:
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance:
Exports:
Note: external exports, excluding intra-EU trade
Partners: United States 18%, United Kingdom 13%, China 10%, Switzerland 7%, Russia 4% (2021)
Commodities: cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, vaccines and cultures, refined petroleum, aircraft, integrated circuits, medical instruments, gas turbines (2021)
Imports:
Note: external imports, excluding intra-EU trade
Partners: China 22%, United States 11%, United Kingdom 8%, Russia 7%, Switzerland 6% (2021)
Commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, vaccines and cultures, computers (2021)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Note: data are for the European Central Bank
Debt external:
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates:
Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 99.9% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 99.9% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 99.9% (2021)
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Products production: 11.66 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports: 2.196 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports: 8.613 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions: 3.475 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2015 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 155,004,603 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 540,557,924 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 121 (2020 est.)
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Country code: .eu; note - see country entries of member states for individual country codes
Users total: 389,063,826 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 87% (2021 est.)
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 163,772,540 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)
Military expenditures:
Note 1: the European Defense Fund (EDF) has a budget of approximately $8 billion for 2021-2,027; about $2.7 billion is devoted to funding collaborative defense research while about $5.3 billion is allocated for collaborative capability development projects that complement national contributions; EDF "categories for action" include areas such as information air and missile defense, cyber and information security, digital transformation, force protection, medical services, space, training, and air, ground, and naval combat capabilities
Note 2: NATO is resourced through the direct and indirect contributions of its members; NATO’s common funds are direct contributions to collective budgets, capabilities and programs, which equate to only 0.3% of total NATO defense spending (approximately $3.3 billion for 2023) to develop capabilities and run NATO, its military commands, capabilities, and infrastructure; NATO's 2014 Defense Investment Pledge called for NATO members to meet the 2% of GDP guideline for defense spending and the 20% of annual defense expenditure on major new equipment by 2024; since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a majority of the NATO countries have committed to investing more in defense and at a more rapid pace
Military and security forces: the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) provides the civilian, military, and political structures for EU crisis management and security issues; the highest bodies are:
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Overview:
Overview note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in space programs
Terrorist groups
Terrorist groups: see individual EU member states
National air transport system
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 636,860,155 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 31,730,660,000 (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports
With paved runways: 1,882
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 1,244
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports: (2021) 90
Pipelines
Railways
Total: 4,894,173 km (2019)
Roadways
Total: 4,894,173 km (2019) 4,894,173
Waterways: 42,000 km (2017) 42,000 km
Merchant marine
Ports and terminals
Major ports: Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Split (Croatia), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)
Disputes international: as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries, but Estonia has no land boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco and with the UK over Gibraltar; the EU has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 23 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements or "acquis" (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europe; these agreements became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), Switzerland since 2008, and Liechtenstein since 2011 bringing the total current membership to 27; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in only some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal matters; nine of the 13 new member states that joined the EU since 2004 joined Schengen on 21 December 2007; EU member state Croatia joined on 1 January 2023; of the three remaining EU states, Romania and Bulgaria are obligated to eventually join, while Cyprus' entry is held up by the ongoing Cyprus dispute
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs
Growth rate: (2021 est.) 0.10%
Below poverty line: 9.8% (2013 est.)
Below poverty line note: see individual country entries of member states
Nationality
Ethnic groups
Languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish
Note: only the 24 official languages are listed; German, the major language of Germany and Austria, is the most widely spoken mother tongue - about 16% of the EU population; English is the most widely spoken foreign language - about 29% of the EU population is conversant with it; English is an official language in Ireland and Malta and thus remained an official EU language after the UK left the bloc (2020)
Religions: Roman Catholic 41%, Orthodox 10%, Protestant 9%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 2%, other 4% (includes Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu), atheist 10%, non-believer/agnostic 17%, unspecified 3% (2019 est.)
Demographic profile
Age structure
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.05% (male 34,978,216/female 33,217,600)
15-64 years: 10.39% (male 24,089,260/female 22,990,579)
65 years and over: 20.5% (male 39,834,507/female 53,020,673) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: NA
Youth dependency ratio: NA
Elderly dependency ratio: NA
Potential support ratio: NA
Median age
Total: 44 years (2020)
Male: 42.6 years
Female: 45.5 years
Population growth rate: (2021 est.) 0.10%
Birth rate: (2020 est.) 9.5 births/1,000 population
Death rate: (2021 est.) 10.7 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: -2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Population distribution: population distribution varies considerably from country to country but tends to follow a pattern of coastal and river settlement, with urban agglomerations forming large hubs facilitating large scale housing, industry, and commerce; the area in and around the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg (known collectively as Benelux), is the most densely populated area in the EU
Urbanization
Major urban areas
Environment
Current issues: various forms of air, soil, and water pollution; see individual country entries
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Air pollutants
Carbon dioxide emissions: 2,881.62 megatons (2016 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2021)
Male: 3.32 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3.62 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.63 years (2021)
Male: 72.98 years
Female: 82.51 years
Total fertility rate: (2021 est.) 1.62 children born/woman
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water source
Improved urban: NA
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: NA
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: NA
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
NA
rural: NA
total: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
Unimproved urban:
NA
rural: NA
total: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
Hiv/Aids
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 19.5% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 18.9%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 20.4%
European Union - Government 2023
top of pageCountry name
Government type
Capital
Name: Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg, Frankfurt (Germany); note - the European Council, a gathering of member-state heads of state and/or government, and the Council of the European Union, a gathering of member-state cabinet ministers, meet in Brussels, Belgium, except for Council of the EU meetings held in Luxembourg in April, June, and October; the European Parliament meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, France, and has administrative offices in Luxembourg; the Court of Justice of the European Union is located in Luxembourg; and the European Central Bank is located in Frankfurt, Germany
Geographic coordinates: (Brussels) 50 50 N, 4 20 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Time zone note: the 27 European Union member states spread across three time zones; a proposal has been put forward to do away with daylight savings time in all EU member states
Administrative divisions
Dependent areas
Independence: 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the European Union); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
Note: the Treaties of Rome, signed on 25 March 1957 and subsequently entered into force on 1 January 1958, created the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community; a series of subsequent treaties have been adopted to increase efficiency and transparency, to prepare for new member states, and to introduce new areas of cooperation - such as a single currency; the Treaty of Lisbon, signed on 13 December 2007 and entered into force on 1 December 2009 is the most recent of these treaties and is intended to make the EU more democratic, more efficient, and better able to address global problems with one voice
National holiday: Europe Day (also known as Schuman Day), 9 May (1950); note - the day in 1950 that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of what became the European Coal and Steel Community, the progenitor of today's European Union, with the aim of achieving a united Europe
Constitution
History: none; note - the EU legal order relies primarily on two consolidated texts encompassing all provisions as amended from a series of past treaties: the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU); The TEU as modified by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty states in Article 1 that "the HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES establish among themselves a EUROPEAN UNION ... on which the Member States confer competences to attain objectives they have in common"; Article 1 of the TEU states further that the EU is "founded on the present Treaty and on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as 'the Treaties')," both possessing the same legal value; Article 6 of the TEU provides that a separately adopted Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union "shall have the same legal value as the Treaties"
Amendments: European Union treaties can be amended in several ways: 1) Ordinary Revision Procedure (for key amendments to the treaties); initiated by an EU member state, by the European Parliament, or by the European Commission; following adoption of the proposal by the European Council, a convention is formed of national government representatives to review the proposal and a conference of government representatives subsequently reviews the proposal; passage requires ratification by all EU member states; 2) Simplified Revision Procedure (for amendment of EU internal policies and actions); passage of a proposal requires unanimous European Council vote following European Council consultation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Central Bank (if the amendment concerns monetary matters) and requires ratification by all EU member states; 3) Passerelle Clause (allows the alteration of a legislative procedure without a formal amendment of the treaties); 4) Flexibility Clause (permits the EU to decide in subject areas where EU competences have not been explicitly granted in the Treaties but are necessary to the attainment of the objectives set out in the Treaty); note - the Treaty of Lisbon (signed in December 2007 and effective in December 2009) amended the two treaties that formed the EU - the Maastricht Treaty (1992), also known as the TEU, and the Treaty of Rome (1957), known in updated form as the TFEU
Legal system: unique supranational system of laws in which, according to an interpretive declaration of member-state governments appended to the Treaty of Lisbon, "the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States" under conditions laid down in the case law of the Court of Justice; key principles of EU jurisprudence include universal rights as guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and as resulting from constitutional traditions common to the EU's 27 member states; EU law is divided into 'primary' and 'secondary' legislation; primary legislation is derived from the consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and are the basis for all EU action; secondary legislation - which includes directives, regulations, and decisions - is derived from the principles and objectives set out in the treaties
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage: 18 years of age (16 years in Austria); universal; voting for the European Parliament is permitted in each member state
Executive branch:
under the EU treaties there are three distinct institutions, each of which conducts functions that may be regarded as executive in nature:
European Council - brings together member-state heads of state or government, along with the president of the European Commission, and meets at least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the development of the Union and to issue general policy guidance; the Treaty of Lisbon established the position of "permanent" (full-time) president of the European Council; leaders of the EU member states appoint the president for a 2 1/2 year term, renewable once; the president's responsibilities include chairing European Council meetings and providing policy and organizational continuity; the current president is Charles MICHEL (Belgium), since 1 December 2019, who succeeded Donald TUSK (Poland; 2014 - 2019)
Council of the European Union - consists of gatherings of member-state officials, ranging from working-level diplomats to cabinet ministers in a given policy field, such as foreign affairs, agriculture, or economy; it conducts policymaking and coordinating functions as well as legislative functions; representatives from one member state chair meetings of the Council of the EU, based on a 6-month rotating presidency except for the meetings of EU Foreign Ministers in the Foreign Affairs Council that are chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
European Commission - headed by a College of Commissioners comprised of 27 members (one from each member state) including the president; each commissioner is responsible for one or more policy areas; the Commission has the sole right to initiate EU legislation (except for foreign and security/defense policy), and is also responsible for promoting the general interest of the EU, acting as "guardian of the Treaties" by monitoring the application of EU law, implementing/executing the EU budget, managing programs, negotiating on the EU's behalf in policy areas where the member states have conferred sole competency, such as trade, and ensuring the Union's external representation in some policy areas; its current president is Ursula VON DER LEYEN (Germany) elected on 16 July 2019 (took office on 1 December 2019); the president of the European Commission is nominated by the European Council and confirmed by the European Parliament; the Commission president allocates specific responsibilities among the members of the College (appointed by common accord of the member-state governments in consultation with the president-elect); the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a 5-year term.
European Council - brings together member-state heads of state or government, along with the president of the European Commission, and meets at least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the development of the Union and to issue general policy guidance; the Treaty of Lisbon established the position of "permanent" (full-time) president of the European Council; leaders of the EU member states appoint the president for a 2 1/2 year term, renewable once; the president's responsibilities include chairing European Council meetings and providing policy and organizational continuity; the current president is Charles MICHEL (Belgium), since 1 December 2019, who succeeded Donald TUSK (Poland; 2014 - 2019)
Council of the European Union - consists of gatherings of member-state officials, ranging from working-level diplomats to cabinet ministers in a given policy field, such as foreign affairs, agriculture, or economy; it conducts policymaking and coordinating functions as well as legislative functions; representatives from one member state chair meetings of the Council of the EU, based on a 6-month rotating presidency except for the meetings of EU Foreign Ministers in the Foreign Affairs Council that are chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
European Commission - headed by a College of Commissioners comprised of 27 members (one from each member state) including the president; each commissioner is responsible for one or more policy areas; the Commission has the sole right to initiate EU legislation (except for foreign and security/defense policy), and is also responsible for promoting the general interest of the EU, acting as "guardian of the Treaties" by monitoring the application of EU law, implementing/executing the EU budget, managing programs, negotiating on the EU's behalf in policy areas where the member states have conferred sole competency, such as trade, and ensuring the Union's external representation in some policy areas; its current president is Ursula VON DER LEYEN (Germany) elected on 16 July 2019 (took office on 1 December 2019); the president of the European Commission is nominated by the European Council and confirmed by the European Parliament; the Commission president allocates specific responsibilities among the members of the College (appointed by common accord of the member-state governments in consultation with the president-elect); the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a 5-year term.
Legislative branch
Description: two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European Union (27 seats; ministers representing the 27 member states) and the European Parliament (705 seats; seats allocated among member states roughly in proportion to population size; members elected by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms); note - the European Parliament President, Roberta METSOLA, was elected in January 2022 by a majority of fellow members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally; the Council of the EU and the MEPs share responsibilities for adopting the bulk of EU legislation; the two bodies must come to agreement for a commission proposal to become law, after negotiations in which they reconcile differences in each body's text of the proposal, except in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is governed by consensus of the EU member-state governments)
Elections: last held on 23-26 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party (as of 13 April 2023) - EPP 175, S&D 144, RE 101, Greens/EFA 72, ECR 66, ID 62, GUE-NGL 38, non-attached 47; Parliament composition - men 428, women 277, percent of women 39.3%; note - composition of the European Council - men 23, women 4, percent of women 14.8%; total Council and Parliament percent of women 38.4%
Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Justice of the European Union, which includes the Court of Justice (informally known as the European Court of Justice or ECJ) and the General Court (consists of 27 judges, one drawn from each member state); the ECJ includes 11 Advocates General while the General Court can include additional judges; both the ECJ and the General Court may sit in a "Grand Chamber" of 15 judges in special cases but usually in chambers of 3 to 5 judges
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the common consent of the member states to serve 6-year renewable terms
Note: the ECJ is the supreme judicial authority of the EU; it ensures that EU law is interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU, resolves disputes among EU institutions and member states, and reviews issues and opinions regarding questions of EU law referred by member state courts
Political parties and leaders:
European United Left-Nordic Green Left or GUE/NGL [Manon AUBRY and Martin SCHIRDEWAN]
European Conservatives and Reformists or ECR [Raffaele FITTO and Ryszard LEGUTKO]
European Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Ska KELLER and Philippe LAMBERTS]
European People's Party or EPP [Manfred WEBER]
Identity and Democracy Party or ID [Marco ZANNI]
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D [Iratxe GARCIA]
Renew Europe or RE [Stephane SEJOURNE] (successor to Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE)
European Conservatives and Reformists or ECR [Raffaele FITTO and Ryszard LEGUTKO]
European Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Ska KELLER and Philippe LAMBERTS]
European People's Party or EPP [Manfred WEBER]
Identity and Democracy Party or ID [Marco ZANNI]
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D [Iratxe GARCIA]
Renew Europe or RE [Stephane SEJOURNE] (successor to Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE)
International organization participation: ARF, ASEAN (dialogue member), Australian Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CERN, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-10, G-20, IDA, IEA, IGAD (partners), LAIA (observer), NSG (observer), OAS (observer), OECD, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN (observer), UNRWA (observer), WCO, WTO, ZC (observer)
Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stavros LAMBRINIDIS (since 8 April 2019)
In the us chancery: 2,175 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 862-9,500
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mark GITENSTEIN (since 24 January 2022)
From the us embassy: Zinnerstraat - 13 - Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [32] (2) 811-4,100
From the us email address and website: [link]
Flag description
: a blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in the center; blue represents the sky of the Western world, the stars are the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity; the number of stars is fixedNational symbols: a circle of 12, five-pointed, golden yellow stars on a blue field; union colors: blue, yellow
National anthem
Name: "Ode to Joy"
Lyrics/music: no lyrics/Ludwig VAN BEETHOVEN, arranged by Herbert VON KARAJAN
Note: official EU anthem since 1985; the anthem is meant to represent all of Europe rather than just the organization, conveying ideas of peace, freedom, and unity
National heritage
European Union - Economy 2023
top of pageEconomy overview
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$19.739 trillion (2021 est.)
$18.716 trillion (2020 est.)
$19.847 trillion (2019 est.)
$18.716 trillion (2020 est.)
$19.847 trillion (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real gdp growth rate:
5.39% (2021 est.)
-5.68% (2020 est.)
1.81% (2019 est.)
-5.68% (2020 est.)
1.81% (2019 est.)
Real gdp per capita:
$44,100 (2021 est.)
$41,800 (2020 est.)
$44,400 (2019 est.)
$41,800 (2020 est.)
$44,400 (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 54.4% (2016 est.)
Government consumption: 20.4% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.8% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.4% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 43.9% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -40.5% (2016 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.6% (2017 est.)
Industry: 25.1% (2017 est.)
Services: 70.9% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes, dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish
Industries: among the world's largest and most technologically advanced regions, the EU industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverages, furniture, paper, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 6.43% (2021 est.)
Labor force: 217.042 million (2021 est.)
Labor force
Unemployment rate:
7.05% (2021 est.)
7.05% (2020 est.)
6.69% (2019 est.)
7.05% (2020 est.)
6.69% (2019 est.)
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 19.5% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 18.9%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 20.4%
Population below poverty line: 9.8% (2013 est.)
Note: see individual country entries of member states
Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 30.8 (2016 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 2.8%
Highest 10%: 23.8% (2016 est.)
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget
Surplus or deficit: -3% (of GDP) (2014)
Taxes and other revenues: 19.41% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Public debt:
86.8% of GDP (2014)
85.5% of GDP (2013)
85.5% of GDP (2013)
Revenue
From forest resources: 0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Fiscal year: NA
Inflation rate consumer prices:
2.55% (2021 est.)
0.5% (2020 est.)
1.63% (2019 est.)
0.5% (2020 est.)
1.63% (2019 est.)
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance:
$404.9 billion (2017 est.)
$359.7 billion (2016 est.)
$359.7 billion (2016 est.)
Exports:
$8.705 trillion (2021 est.)
$7.175 trillion (2020 est.)
$7.765 trillion (2019 est.)
$7.175 trillion (2020 est.)
$7.765 trillion (2019 est.)
Note: external exports, excluding intra-EU trade
Partners: United States 18%, United Kingdom 13%, China 10%, Switzerland 7%, Russia 4% (2021)
Commodities: cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, vaccines and cultures, refined petroleum, aircraft, integrated circuits, medical instruments, gas turbines (2021)
Imports:
$8.037 trillion (2021 est.)
$6.6 trillion (2020 est.)
$7.18 trillion (2019 est.)
$6.6 trillion (2020 est.)
$7.18 trillion (2019 est.)
Note: external imports, excluding intra-EU trade
Partners: China 22%, United States 11%, United Kingdom 8%, Russia 7%, Switzerland 6% (2021)
Commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, vaccines and cultures, computers (2021)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$740.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$746.9 billion (31 December 2013)
$746.9 billion (31 December 2013)
Note: data are for the European Central Bank
Debt external:
$29.27 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
$28.68 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
$28.68 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.885 (2017 est.)
0.903 (2016 est.)
0.9214 (2015 est.)
0.885 (2014 est.)
0.7634 (2013 est.)
0.903 (2016 est.)
0.9214 (2015 est.)
0.885 (2014 est.)
0.7634 (2013 est.)
European Union - Energy 2023
top of pageElectricity
Access electrification-total population: 99.9% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 99.9% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 99.9% (2021)
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Products production: 11.66 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports: 2.196 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports: 8.613 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions: 3.475 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2015 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
European Union - Communication 2023
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 155,004,603 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 540,557,924 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 121 (2020 est.)
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Country code: .eu; note - see country entries of member states for individual country codes
Users total: 389,063,826 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 87% (2021 est.)
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 163,772,540 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)
European Union - Military 2023
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2021)
1.6% of GDP (2020)
1.4% of GDP (2019)
1.4% of GDP (2018)
1.6% of GDP (2021)
1.6% of GDP (2020)
1.4% of GDP (2019)
1.4% of GDP (2018)
Note 1: the European Defense Fund (EDF) has a budget of approximately $8 billion for 2021-2,027; about $2.7 billion is devoted to funding collaborative defense research while about $5.3 billion is allocated for collaborative capability development projects that complement national contributions; EDF "categories for action" include areas such as information air and missile defense, cyber and information security, digital transformation, force protection, medical services, space, training, and air, ground, and naval combat capabilities
Note 2: NATO is resourced through the direct and indirect contributions of its members; NATO’s common funds are direct contributions to collective budgets, capabilities and programs, which equate to only 0.3% of total NATO defense spending (approximately $3.3 billion for 2023) to develop capabilities and run NATO, its military commands, capabilities, and infrastructure; NATO's 2014 Defense Investment Pledge called for NATO members to meet the 2% of GDP guideline for defense spending and the 20% of annual defense expenditure on major new equipment by 2024; since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a majority of the NATO countries have committed to investing more in defense and at a more rapid pace
Military and security forces: the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) provides the civilian, military, and political structures for EU crisis management and security issues; the highest bodies are:
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Overview:
the EUSPA’s mission is to provide a link between European users and space technologies and capabilities, including remote sensing (RS), satellite navigation, and telecommunications; it is responsible for the operational management of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and Galileo satellite navigation programs; the EU has a space strategy, which includes encouraging investment in and the use of space services and data, fostering competition and innovation, developing space technologies, and reinforcing Europe’s autonomy in accessing space
the ESA is a comprehensive space agency and active across all areas of the space sector outside of launching humans into space, including producing and operating satellites with a full spectrum of capabilities (communications, multipurpose, navigational, RS, science/technology), satellite launch vehicles (SLVs), space launches, human space flight (has an astronaut training program), space transportation/automated transfer vehicles, re-usable spacecraft, space station modules, spacecraft components, robotic space labs, lunar/planetary surface rovers, interplanetary space probes and exploration, space telescopes, research, science, technology development, etc.; ESA also participates in international space programs such as the International Space Station and works closely with Europe’s commercial space industry; it also cooperates with a broad range of space agencies and industries of non-member countries, including China, Japan, Russia, and the US; many of its programs are conducted jointly, particularly with the US space program
Europe has a large and advanced commercial space sector capable of developing and producing a full range of capabilities and technologies; a key focus for both the ESA and EUSPA is encouraging the European commercial space sector; Europe is a global leader in satellite-based communications and hosts the headquarters of three of the world’s major satellite communications companies; in 2020, the European space economy, including manufacturing and services, employed over 230,000 professionals and was valued at more than 20% of the global space sector (2023)
the ESA is a comprehensive space agency and active across all areas of the space sector outside of launching humans into space, including producing and operating satellites with a full spectrum of capabilities (communications, multipurpose, navigational, RS, science/technology), satellite launch vehicles (SLVs), space launches, human space flight (has an astronaut training program), space transportation/automated transfer vehicles, re-usable spacecraft, space station modules, spacecraft components, robotic space labs, lunar/planetary surface rovers, interplanetary space probes and exploration, space telescopes, research, science, technology development, etc.; ESA also participates in international space programs such as the International Space Station and works closely with Europe’s commercial space industry; it also cooperates with a broad range of space agencies and industries of non-member countries, including China, Japan, Russia, and the US; many of its programs are conducted jointly, particularly with the US space program
Europe has a large and advanced commercial space sector capable of developing and producing a full range of capabilities and technologies; a key focus for both the ESA and EUSPA is encouraging the European commercial space sector; Europe is a global leader in satellite-based communications and hosts the headquarters of three of the world’s major satellite communications companies; in 2020, the European space economy, including manufacturing and services, employed over 230,000 professionals and was valued at more than 20% of the global space sector (2023)
Overview note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in space programs
Terrorist groups
Terrorist groups: see individual EU member states
European Union - Transportation 2023
top of pageNational air transport system
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 636,860,155 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 31,730,660,000 (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports
With paved runways: 1,882
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 1,244
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports: (2021) 90
Pipelines
Railways
Total: 4,894,173 km (2019)
Roadways
Total: 4,894,173 km (2019) 4,894,173
Waterways: 42,000 km (2017) 42,000 km
Merchant marine
Ports and terminals
Major ports: Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Split (Croatia), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)
European Union - Transnational issues 2023
top of pageDisputes international: as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries, but Estonia has no land boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco and with the UK over Gibraltar; the EU has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 23 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements or "acquis" (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europe; these agreements became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), Switzerland since 2008, and Liechtenstein since 2011 bringing the total current membership to 27; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in only some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal matters; nine of the 13 new member states that joined the EU since 2004 joined Schengen on 21 December 2007; EU member state Croatia joined on 1 January 2023; of the three remaining EU states, Romania and Bulgaria are obligated to eventually join, while Cyprus' entry is held up by the ongoing Cyprus dispute
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs
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