In the Cook Islands in 2024, the population decreased by about 2.24 percent compared to the previous year, making it the country with the highest population decline rate in 2024. Of the 20 countries with the highest rate of population decline, the majority are island nations, where emigration rates are high (especially to Australia, New Zealand, and the United States), or they are located in Eastern Europe, which suffers from a combination of high emigration rates and low birth rates.

In 2023, the Faroe Islands was the European country estimated to have the highest fertility rate. The small Atlantic island state had a fertility rate of 2.71 children per woman. Other small countries such as Monaco and Gibraltar also came towards the top of the list for 2023, while the large country with the highest fertility rate was France, with 1.79 children per woman. On the other hand, Andorra, San Marino, and Malta had the lowest fertility rates in Europe, with Ukraine, Spain, and Italy being the largest countries with low fertility rates in that year, averaging around 1.3 children per woman.

This dataset provides values for INTEREST RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

In 2023, Ukraine had the fastest growing population in Europe. As a result of Ukrainian citizens who had fled Russia's invasion of the eastern European country in 2022 returning to the country in 2023, Ukraine's population grew by 3.68 percent compared to 2022. Excluding this special case, the European countries which saw the greatest population growth in 2023 were Luxembourg, Norway, and Ireland. Overall, Europe's population declined by 0.09 percent in 2022, with this varying by region from a 0.31 percent decline in eastern Europe to an increase of 0.33 percent in northern Europe. All of the countries which saw the largest declines in their population in 2023 were central and eastern European countries which had hosted large numbers of Ukrainian refugees in 2022. Moldova, one of Ukraine's closest neighbours, saw its population decline by 3.6 percent, while Poland's population declined by 2.2 percent, and Slovakia's by 1.8 percent.

Germany DE: Tariff Rate: Applied: Weighted Mean: Primary Products data was reported at 0.840 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.340 % for 2021. Germany DE: Tariff Rate: Applied: Weighted Mean: Primary Products data is updated yearly, averaging 1.690 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2022, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.800 % in 2001 and a record low of 0.830 % in 2020. Germany DE: Tariff Rate: Applied: Weighted Mean: Primary Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Trade Tariffs. Weighted mean applied tariff is the average of effectively applied rates weighted by the product import shares corresponding to each partner country. Data are classified using the Harmonized System of trade at the six- or eight-digit level. Tariff line data were matched to Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) revision 3 codes to define commodity groups and import weights. To the extent possible, specific rates have been converted to their ad valorem equivalent rates and have been included in the calculation of weighted mean tariffs. Import weights were calculated using the United Nations Statistics Division's Commodity Trade (Comtrade) database. Effectively applied tariff rates at the six- and eight-digit product level are averaged for products in each commodity group. When the effectively applied rate is unavailable, the most favored nation rate is used instead. Primary products are commodities classified in SITC revision 3 sections 0-4 plus division 68 (nonferrous metals).;World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.;;The tariff data for the European Union (EU) apply to EU Member States in alignment with the EU membership for the respective countries/economies and years. In the context of the tariff data, the EU membership for a given country/economy and year is defined for the entire year during which the country/economy was a member of the EU (irrespective of the date of accession to or withdrawal from the EU within a given year). The tariff data for the EU are, thus, applicable to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (EU Member State(s) since 1958), Denmark and Ireland (EU Member State(s) since 1973), the United Kingdom (EU Member State(s) from 1973 until 2020), Greece (EU Member State(s) since 1981), Spain and Portugal (EU Member State(s) since 1986), Austria, Finland, and Sweden (EU Member State(s) since 1995), Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia (EU Member State(s) since 2004), Romania and Bulgaria (EU Member State(s) since 2007), Croatia (EU Member State(s) since 2013).

In December 2024, the inflation rate for food in the European Union (EU) reached 2.4 percent compared to the same month the year prior. Starting in the beginning of 2022, food prices started to rise rapidly. In March 2023, the food inflation rate in the EU reached its peak at 19.19 percent. Since April 2023, the rate started to decrease. Food inflation in Europe One of the main drivers of the increase in consumer prices was the rapid rise in energy prices. In the energy sector, the harmonized index of consumer prices inflation of the EU, a concept to measure and compare inflation internationally, was at 41.1 percent in June 2022, whereas the other categories were all below 10 percent. In Germany, the year-on-year consumer price index development for food and beverages was at 12.33 percent in the year 2023, just a slight dip from the all-time high of 12.51 percent in 2022. By 2024, this had dropped to 1.92 percent. There are a number of ways in which European consumers are trying to save on food costs due to rising prices. The most popular way to deal with the rising food prices is to reduce at-home food waste. An average of about half of consumers in selected European countries stated that this is how they responded to the price increases. Other popular ways were to buy only the essentials or to purchase mostly store brands. Food inflation worldwide In 2022, Europe and Central Asia were the regions with the highest food inflation rates worldwide. The rate of food inflation in those regions was about 18 percent in 2022, which is more than twice as high as it was in the previous year. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the food inflation rate rose from 5.4 to 11.9 percent during the same period. When categorized by income classification, low-income countries have significantly higher food price inflation, as compared to lower-middle-, upper-middle-, and high-income countries. On average, low-income countries had a food price inflation rate of about 30 percent in 2023. The world average rate was at 6.5 percent. Zimbabwe was the country with the highest level of real food inflation worldwide. The southern African country experienced a food inflation of approximately 46 percent in 2024. This was more than two times as high as in any other country in the world.

Germany DE: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Simple Mean: All Products data was reported at 5.240 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.630 % for 2021. Germany DE: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Simple Mean: All Products data is updated yearly, averaging 5.710 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2022, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.480 % in 2001 and a record low of 4.320 % in 2020. Germany DE: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Simple Mean: All Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Trade Tariffs. Simple mean most favored nation tariff rate is the unweighted average of most favored nation rates for all products subject to tariffs calculated for all traded goods. Data are classified using the Harmonized System of trade at the six- or eight-digit level. Tariff line data were matched to Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) revision 3 codes to define commodity groups.;World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on data from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS) database.;;The tariff data for the European Union (EU) apply to EU Member States in alignment with the EU membership for the respective countries/economies and years. In the context of the tariff data, the EU membership for a given country/economy and year is defined for the entire year during which the country/economy was a member of the EU (irrespective of the date of accession to or withdrawal from the EU within a given year). The tariff data for the EU are, thus, applicable to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (EU Member State(s) since 1958), Denmark and Ireland (EU Member State(s) since 1973), the United Kingdom (EU Member State(s) from 1973 until 2020), Greece (EU Member State(s) since 1981), Spain and Portugal (EU Member State(s) since 1986), Austria, Finland, and Sweden (EU Member State(s) since 1995), Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia (EU Member State(s) since 2004), Romania and Bulgaria (EU Member State(s) since 2007), Croatia (EU Member State(s) since 2013).

EU Unemployment Rate: Euro Area data was reported at 8.000 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.200 % for May 2018. EU Unemployment Rate: Euro Area data is updated monthly, averaging 9.000 % from Jan 1983 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 426 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.700 % in Feb 2013 and a record low of 7.200 % in Jul 2008. EU Unemployment Rate: Euro Area data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s EU – Table EU.G010: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate.

Czech Republic CZ: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Simple Mean: Primary Products data was reported at 8.990 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.210 % for 2021. Czech Republic CZ: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Simple Mean: Primary Products data is updated yearly, averaging 10.240 % from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2022, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.260 % in 2019 and a record low of 5.580 % in 2020. Czech Republic CZ: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Simple Mean: Primary Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Czech Republic – Table CZ.World Bank.WDI: Trade Tariffs. Simple mean most favored nation tariff rate is the unweighted average of most favored nation rates for all products subject to tariffs calculated for all traded goods. Data are classified using the Harmonized System of trade at the six- or eight-digit level. Tariff line data were matched to Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) revision 3 codes to define commodity groups. Primary products are commodities classified in SITC revision 3 sections 0-4 plus division 68 (nonferrous metals).;World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on data from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS) database.;;The tariff data for the European Union (EU) apply to EU Member States in alignment with the EU membership for the respective countries/economies and years. In the context of the tariff data, the EU membership for a given country/economy and year is defined for the entire year during which the country/economy was a member of the EU (irrespective of the date of accession to or withdrawal from the EU within a given year). The tariff data for the EU are, thus, applicable to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (EU Member State(s) since 1958), Denmark and Ireland (EU Member State(s) since 1973), the United Kingdom (EU Member State(s) from 1973 until 2020), Greece (EU Member State(s) since 1981), Spain and Portugal (EU Member State(s) since 1986), Austria, Finland, and Sweden (EU Member State(s) since 1995), Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia (EU Member State(s) since 2004), Romania and Bulgaria (EU Member State(s) since 2007), Croatia (EU Member State(s) since 2013).

European software developers' revenue is forecast to drop at a compound annual rate of 2.8% over the five years through 2024 to €374.1 billion due to challenging economic conditions. Software development revenue has been supported by rising digitisation and technological developments throughout the continent. The industry has been characterised by acquisitions, as global developers have sought to remain on top of market trends and protect their competitive positions by acquiring smaller businesses, particularly niche developers. While revenue tumbled in 2020 amid the pandemic, the industry was less affected than the wider European economy due to the essential nature of most software provided by developers and the digital nature of the industry. Demand for cloud-based and business operation software surged due to lockdowns across the globe, which led to a rise in remote working in Europe, with the Netherlands and Luxembourg having embraced remote-working the most. Revenue is set to contract by 2.2% in 2024 amid economic headwinds. Profit has remained high but has trended downwards. Over the five years through 2029, revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 3.3% to €440.2 billion. Continued technological developments, including artificial intelligence, and the rising application of advanced software in businesses will stimulate demand. Heightened demand from the European Fintech space will be influential for developers, as the EU has established a strong regulatory framework to encourage growth.

In the third quarter of 2024, Greece's national debt was the highest in all the European Union, amounting to 158 percent of Greece's gross domestic product. In spite of Greece's total being high by EU standards, it marks a substantial decrease from the historical high point reached by the country's national debt of 207 percent of GDP in 2020. Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal also all have government debt worth over one year's production of their economies, while the small Baltic country of Estonia has the smallest national debt when compared with GDP, at only 24 percent. In debitum incrementum?A country’s national debt, also known as government debt or public debt, is defined as all borrowings owed by the government of a country. It usually comprises internal debt – owed to other governmental departments – and external debt, which is held by the public and is owed to government bond owners. National debt can be caused by a struggling economy in general, or by low tax income, which usually leads to money being borrowed from other governments for support, which in turn cannot be paid back right away. At first glance, a high national debt is not always a sign of a struggling economy – but since increasing debt can slow down economic growth significantly, it is imperative for the respective government to seek a steady reduction in the long run.

The beer and malt production landscape in Europe is fuelled by the continent's storied cultural affinity for the brew and the evolving tastes of its consumers. Currently, Europe has the highest average alcohol consumption globally, with eight of the top 10 drinking nations within its borders, including the Czech Republic, Austria and France, according to data from the CIA. However, there is a drop occurring, with the average European now drinking 9.5 litres of pure alcohol annually — a significant fall of 21% since the turn of the millennium, according to the World Health Organisation. This decline echoes a growing societal awareness of the risks of alcohol excess and a discernible trend towards more responsible consumption practices. This is projected to cause a shrinking of industry revenue at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2024, including a 3.3% drop in 2024 alone, reaching €70.4 billion. Despite falling alcohol consumption, beer has exceeded traditional spirits and wine as the beverage of choice in many European countries. France, a nation renowned for its wine, has seen beer become the more favoured alcoholic drink of choice, according to a 2023 survey by French wine consultancy firm Sowine. These shifts have bolstered the presence of multinational breweries that capitalised on emerging markets and triggered a flourishing microbrewery segment, illustrating a robust appetite for locally crafted beers. The thirst for artisanal brews is strong in many parts of Europe, with countries like Italy, Germany and France experiencing a surge in microbrewery establishments. This is despite a deceleration in certain regions, like the UK and Spain. Health concerns regarding alcohol consumption are predicted to continue driving a downward trend; more governments are set to introduce regulations to curb excessive drinking, like Scotland's minimum pricing strategy, which has successfully curbed alcohol-related harms. There is a burgeoning opportunity for consolidation within the craft beer segment. Multinationals like InBev and Heineken are poised to leverage this inflexion point as the market matures and the growth of independent microbreweries steadies in some regions. They've already begun strategically acquiring artisan brands, a trend which is likely to hasten. Overall, industry revenue is projected to rise at a compound annual rate of 3% over the five years through 2029, reaching €81.7 billion .

Since 1980, Europe's largest economies have consistently been France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, although the former Soviet Union's economy was the largest in the 1980s, and Russia's economy has been larger than Spain's since 2010. Since Soviet dissolution, Germany has always had the largest economy in Europe, while either France or the UK has had the second largest economy depending on the year. Italy's economy was of a relatively similar size to that of the UK and France until the mid 2000s when it started to diverge, resulting in a difference of approximately 800 billion U.S dollars by 2018. Russia's economy had overtaken both Italy and Spain's in 2012, but has fallen since 2014 due to the drop in international oil prices and the economic sanctions imposed for its annexation of Crimea - economic growth is expected to be comparatively low in Russia in the coming years due to the economic fallout of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Saint Kitts and Nevis saw a murder rate of 65 per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most dangerous country for this kind of crime worldwide as of 2023. Interestingly, El Salvador, which long had the highest global homicide rates, has dropped out of the top 20 after a high number of gang members have been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Celaya in Mexico was the most dangerous city for murders. Violent conflicts worldwide Notably, these figures do not include deaths that resulted from war or a violent conflict. While there is a persistent number of conflicts worldwide, resulting casualties are not considered murders. Partially due to this reason, homicide rates in Latin America are higher than those in Afghanistan or Syria. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly in some countries. Causes of death Also noteworthy is that murders are usually not random events. In the United States, the circumstances of murders are most commonly arguments, followed by narcotics incidents and robberies. Additionally, murders are not a leading cause of death. Heart diseases, strokes and cancer pose a greater threat to life than violent crime.

European Union Key Interest Rate: Month End: Deposit Facility data was reported at 2.750 % pa in Feb 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.000 % pa for Jan 2025. European Union Key Interest Rate: Month End: Deposit Facility data is updated monthly, averaging 0.500 % pa from Jan 1999 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 314 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.000 % pa in May 2024 and a record low of -0.500 % pa in Jun 2022. European Union Key Interest Rate: Month End: Deposit Facility data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by European Central Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.M001: Key Interest Rates: European Central Bank.

European Union Activity Rate: 15 to 64 Years: EA 20: Females data was reported at 70.900 % in Sep 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 71.000 % for Jun 2024. European Union Activity Rate: 15 to 64 Years: EA 20: Females data is updated quarterly, averaging 66.500 % from Jun 2002 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 82 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 71.000 % in Jun 2024 and a record low of 59.100 % in Jun 2002. European Union Activity Rate: 15 to 64 Years: EA 20: Females data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G006: Eurostat: Activity Rate: by Sex.

Between the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the end of the Great Depression in the late 1930s, the Soviet Union saw the largest growth in its gross domestic product, growing by more than 70 percent between 1929 and 1937/8. The Great Depression began in 1929 in the United States, following the stock market crash in late October. The inter-connectedness of the global economy, particularly between North America and Europe, then came to the fore as the collapse of the U.S. economy exposed the instabilities of other industrialized countries. In contrast, the economic isolation of the Soviet Union and its detachment from the capitalist system meant that it was relatively shielded from these events. 1929-1932 The Soviet Union was one of just three countries listed that experienced GDP growth during the first three years of the Great Depression, with Bulgaria and Denmark being the other two. Bulgaria experienced the largest GDP growth over these three years, increasing by 27 percent, although it was also the only country to experience a decline in growth over the second period. The majority of other European countries saw their GDP growth fall in the depression's early years. However, none experienced the same level of decline as the United States, which dropped by 28 percent. 1932-1938 In the remaining years before the Second World War, all of the listed countries saw their GDP grow significantly, particularly Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Coincidentally, these were the three most powerful nations during the Second World War. This recovery was primarily driven by industrialization, and, again, the U.S., USSR, and Germany all experienced the highest level of industrial growth between 1932 and 1938.

As of 2023, the countries with the highest life expectancy included Switzerland, Japan, and Spain. As of that time, a new-born child in Switzerland could expect to live an average of 84.2 years. Around the world, females consistently have a higher average life expectancy than males, with females in Europe expected to live an average of six years longer than males on this continent. Increases in life expectancy The overall average life expectancy in OECD countries increased by 11.3 years from 1970 to 2019. The countries that saw the largest increases included Turkey, India, and South Korea. The life expectancy at birth in Turkey increased an astonishing 24.4 years over this period. The countries with the lowest life expectancy worldwide as of 2022 were Chad, Lesotho, and Nigeria, where a newborn could be expected to live an average of 53 years. Life expectancy in the U.S. The life expectancy in the United States was 77.43 years as of 2022. Shockingly, the life expectancy in the United States has decreased in recent years, while it continues to increase in other similarly developed countries. The COVID-19 pandemic and increasing rates of suicide and drug overdose deaths from the opioid epidemic have been cited as reasons for this decrease.

Key information about European Union Industrial Production Index Growth

• European Union Industrial production rose 0.6 % YoY in Apr 2023, following a drop of 1.8 % YoY in the previous month.
• EU Industrial production index growth rate YoY data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1992 to Apr 2023, with an average rate of 1.7 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 40.5 % in Apr 2021 and a record low of -27.8 % in Apr 2020.

The world's population first reached one billion people in 1803, and reach eight billion in 2023, and will peak at almost 11 billion by the end of the century. Although it took thousands of years to reach one billion people, it did so at the beginning of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition; from this point onwards, population growth has skyrocketed, and since the 1960s the population has increased by one billion people every 12 to 15 years. The demographic transition sees a sharp drop in mortality due to factors such as vaccination, sanitation, and improved food supply; the population boom that follows is due to increased survival rates among children and higher life expectancy among the general population; and fertility then drops in response to this population growth. Regional differences The demographic transition is a global phenomenon, but it has taken place at different times across the world. The industrialized countries of Europe and North America were the first to go through this process, followed by some states in the Western Pacific. Latin America's population then began growing at the turn of the 20th century, but the most significant period of global population growth occurred as Asia progressed in the late-1900s. As of the early 21st century, almost two thirds of the world's population live in Asia, although this is set to change significantly in the coming decades. Future growth The growth of Africa's population, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, will have the largest impact on global demographics in this century. From 2000 to 2100, it is expected that Africa's population will have increased by a factor of almost five. It overtook Europe in size in the late 1990s, and overtook the Americas a decade later. In contrast to Africa, Europe's population is now in decline, as birth rates are consistently below death rates in many countries, especially in the south and east, resulting in natural population decline. Similarly, the population of the Americas and Asia are expected to go into decline in the second half of this century, and only Oceania's population will still be growing alongside Africa. By 2100, the world's population will have over three billion more than today, with the vast majority of this concentrated in Africa. Demographers predict that climate change is exacerbating many of the challenges that currently hinder progress in Africa, such as political and food instability; if Africa's transition is prolonged, then it may result in further population growth that would place a strain on the region's resources, however, curbing this growth earlier would alleviate some of the pressure created by climate change.