Russia is the largest country in Europe, and also the largest in the world, its total size amounting to 17 million square kilometers (km2). It should be noted, however, that over three quarters of Russia is located in Asia, and the Ural mountains are often viewed as the meeting point of the two continents in Russia; nonetheless, European Russia is still significantly larger than any other European country. Ukraine, the second largest country on the continent, is only 603,000 km2, making it about 28 times smaller than its eastern neighbor, or seven times smaller than the European part of Russia. France is the third largest country in Europe, but the largest in the European Union. The Vatican City, often referred to as the Holy Sea, is both the smallest country in Europe and in the world, at just one km2. Population Russia is also the most populous country in Europe. It has around 144 million inhabitants across the country; in this case, around three quarters of the population live in the European part, which still gives it the largest population in Europe. Despite having the largest population, Russia is a very sparsely populated country due to its size and the harsh winters. Germany is the second most populous country in Europe, with 83 million inhabitants, while the Vatican has the smallest population. Worldwide, India and China are the most populous countries, with approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants each. Cities Moscow in Russia is ranked as the most populous city in Europe with around 13 million inhabitants, although figures vary, due to differences in the methodologies used by countries and sources. Some statistics include Istanbul in Turkey* as the largest city in Europe with its 15 million inhabitants, bit it has been excluded here as most of the country and parts of the city is located in Asia. Worldwide, Tokyo is the most populous city, with Jakarta the second largest and Delhi the third.

The average for 2021 based on 27 countries was 148029 sq. km. The highest value was in France: 547557 sq. km and the lowest value was in Malta: 320 sq. km. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

As of 2023, Germany was the largest country in the European Union in terms of population. The central European country comprised almost one-fifth of the total population of the EU in that year, with France in second place with 15.19 percent, and Italy in third at 13.15 percent. While there are 27 member states of the European Union in total, approximately two-thirds of the population of the bloc is made up by the seven largest countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, and the Netherlands. Of the remaining 20 member states, no country makes up more than 3 percent of the EU's total population, with the smallest country, Malta, comprising just 0.12 percent of the total.

In 2024 the gross domestic product of the European Union amounted to approximately 17.9 trillion euros. GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country within a year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. The financial crisis and its aftermath The European Union is a union made up of 27 states located within and around Europe, including several of the world’s largest economies. Since its inception in 1993, the European Union has displayed the benefits of uniting several countries together, however have also showed possible consequences. The majority of European countries felt the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis and afterwards the Eurozone crisis, which has had a severe and continuous effect on the general European economy. Additionally, due to the close association between all the countries, several banks around different European countries were forced to shut down. A generally lower standard of life in the EU, particularly around 2009 during the prime of both economical disasters, led to doubt and uncertainty about the future of many European families and consumers. However, as the economic situation all around the world slowly improved, so did the outlook on the future for most consumers. Struggles around Europe resulted in a larger need to stimulate the economy, which was only possible by borrowing and spending more money. As a result, national debt soared. It was also necessary for more economically successful countries to help finance countries that were deep in the crisis, such as Greece.

The European Union's total Imports in 2024 were valued at US$2.64 Trillion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. The European Union's main import partners were: China, the United States and the United Kingdom. The top three import commodities were: Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products; Electrical, electronic equipment and Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers. Total Exports were valued at US$2.80 Trillion. In 2024, The European Union had a trade surplus of US$159.68 Billion.

The European Union's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$2.80 Trillion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. The European Union's main export partners were: the United States, the United Kingdom and China. The top three export commodities were: Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers; Pharmaceutical products and Vehicles other than railway, tramway. Total Imports were valued at US$2.64 Trillion. In 2024, The European Union had a trade surplus of US$159.68 Billion.

In 2024, Russia had the largest population among European countries at ***** million people. The next largest countries in terms of their population size were Turkey at **** million, Germany at **** million, the United Kingdom at **** million, and France at **** million. Europe is also home to some of the world’s smallest countries, such as the microstates of Liechtenstein and San Marino, with populations of ****** and ****** respectively. Europe’s largest economies Germany was Europe’s largest economy in 2023, with a Gross Domestic Product of around *** trillion Euros, while the UK and France are the second and third largest economies, at *** trillion and *** trillion euros respectively. Prior to the mid-2000s, Europe’s fourth-largest economy, Italy, had an economy that was of a similar sized to France and the UK, before diverging growth patterns saw the UK and France become far larger economies than Italy. Moscow and Istanbul the megacities of Europe Two cities on the eastern borders of Europe were Europe’s largest in 2023. The Turkish city of Istanbul, with a population of 15.8 million, and the Russian capital, Moscow, with a population of 12.7 million. Istanbul is arguably the world’s most famous transcontinental city with territory in both Europe and Asia and has been an important center for commerce and culture for over 2,000 years. Paris was the third largest European city with a population of ** million, with London being the fourth largest at *** million.

Historical chart and dataset showing European Union military size by year from 1985 to 2020.

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

The average for 2023 based on 27 countries was 16.65 million. The highest value was in Germany: 84.48 million and the lowest value was in Malta: 0.55 million. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Key information about European Union Total Exports to USA

• European Union Total Exports to USA recorded 47.558 USD bn in Dec 2024, compared with 48.843 USD bn in the previous Nov 2024
• EU Total Exports to USA data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2002 to Dec 2024, with an averaged value of 27.377 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 50.474 USD bn in Aug 2024 and a record low of 14.685 USD bn in Feb 2002

CEIC converts monthly Total Exports to USA into USD. Eurostat provides Total Exports to USA, FOB, in EUR. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. European Union stands for EU27 excluding UK.

Key information about European Union Foreign Exchange Reserves: % of GDP

• European Union Foreign Exchange Reserves: % of GDP was reported at 1.915 % in Dec 2024
• This records an increase from the previous number of 1.813 % for Sep 2024
• EU Foreign Exchange Reserves: % of GDP data is updated quarterly, averaging 1.900 % from Dec 1999 to Dec 2024, with 101 observations
• The data reached an all-time high of 3.696 % in Sep 2000 and a record low of 1.423 % in Sep 2009
• EU Foreign Exchange Reserves: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Global Economic Monitor – Table: Foreign Exchange Reserves: % of Nominal GDP: Quarterly

CEIC calculates quarterly Foreign Exchange Reserves as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Foreign Exchange Reserves and quarterly Nominal GDP. European Central Bank provides Foreign Exchange Reserves in EUR. Eurostat provides Nominal GDP in EUR. Foreign Exchange Reserves as % of Nominal GDP covers Euro Area 19 only.

The European Union is comprised of 27 member states who share the European Single Market, a common trade area which ensures the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. As of 2024, the largest economies in the EU were Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, with these countries making up the vast majority of the EU's almost 17 trillion Euro GDP. The relatively small island member states of Cyprus and Malta come in at the bottom of the list, with GDPs of around 23 and 33 billion Euros respectively.

European Union EU: NPL Ratio: SI: Banks With Largest Non-Domestic Exposures in Non-EEA Europe data was reported at 1.620 % in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.150 % for Sep 2024. European Union EU: NPL Ratio: SI: Banks With Largest Non-Domestic Exposures in Non-EEA Europe data is updated quarterly, averaging 3.805 % from Dec 2015 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.510 % in Jun 2019 and a record low of 1.620 % in Dec 2024. European Union EU: NPL Ratio: SI: Banks With Largest Non-Domestic Exposures in Non-EEA Europe data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by European Central Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.KB024: European Central Bank: Non-Performing Loans Ratio: by Supervisory Banking.

Key information about European Union Tourism Revenue Growth

• European Union Tourism Revenue grew 0.1 % YoY in Dec 2019, compared with an increase of 9.1 % YoY in the previous year
• European Union Tourism Revenue Growth rate data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2000 to Dec 2019
• The data reached an all-time high of 16.3 % in Dec 2003 and a record low of -13.5 % in Dec 2009

CEIC calculates annual Tourism Revenue Growth from annual Tourism Revenue. The World Bank provides Tourism Revenue in USD.

Abstract

EU-SILC has become the EU reference source for comparative statistics on income distribution and social exclusion at European level, particularly in the context of the "Program of Community action to encourage cooperation between Member States to combat social exclusion" and for producing structural indicators on social cohesion for the annual spring report to the European Council. The first priority is to be given to the delivery of comparable, timely and high quality cross-sectional data.

There are two types of datasets: 1) Cross-sectional data pertaining to fixed time periods, with variables on income, poverty, social exclusion and living conditions. 2) Longitudinal data pertaining to individual-level changes over time, observed periodically - usually over four years.

Longitudinal data is limited to income information and a limited set of critical qualitative, non-monetary variables of deprivation, aimed at identifying the incidence and dynamic processes of persistence of poverty and social exclusion among subgroups in the population. The longitudinal component is also more limited in sample size compared to the primary, cross-sectional component. Furthermore, for any given set of individuals, microlevel changes are followed up only for a limited duration, such as a period of four years. For both the cross-sectional and longitudinal components, all household and personal data are linkable. Furthermore, modules providing updated information in the field of social exclusion is included starting from 2005.

Social exclusion and housing-condition information is collected at household level. Income at a detailed component level is collected at personal level, with some components included in the "Household" section. Labour, education and health observations only apply to persons 16 and older. EU-SILC was established to provide data on structural indicators of social cohesion (at-risk-of-poverty rate, S80/S20 and gender pay gap) and to provide relevant data for the two 'open methods of coordination' in the field of social inclusion and pensions in Europe.

This is the 4th release of 2008 Longitudinal Dataset, as published by Eurostat in March 2012.

Geographic coverage

The survey covers following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway.

Small parts of the national territory amounting to no more than 2% of the national population and the national territories listed below may be excluded from EU-SILC: France - French Overseas Departments and territories; Netherlands - The West Frisian Islands with the exception of Texel; Ireland - All offshore islands with the exception of Achill, Bull, Cruit, Gorumna, Inishnee, Lettermore, Lettermullan and Valentia; United kingdom - Scotland north of the Caledonian Canal, the Scilly Islands.

Analysis unit

• Households;
• Individuals 16 years and older.

Universe

The survey covered all household members over 16 years old. Persons living in collective households and in institutions are generally excluded from the target population.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

On the basis of various statistical and practical considerations and the precision requirements for the most critical variables, the minimum effective sample sizes to be achieved were defined. Sample size for the longitudinal component refers, for any pair of consecutive years, to the number of households successfully interviewed in the first year in which all or at least a majority of the household members aged 16 or over are successfully interviewed in both the years.

For the cross-sectional component, the plans are to achieve the minimum effective sample size of around 131.000 households in the EU as a whole (137.000 including Iceland and Norway). The allocation of the EU sample among countries represents a compromise between two objectives: the production of results at the level of individual countries, and production for the EU as a whole. Requirements for the longitudinal data will be less important. For this component, an effective sample size of around 98.000 households (103.000 including Iceland and Norway) is planned.

Member States using registers for income and other data may use a sample of persons (selected respondents) rather than a sample of complete households in the interview survey. The minimum effective sample size in terms of the number of persons aged 16 or over to be interviewed in detail is in this case taken as 75 % of the figures shown in columns 3 and 4 of the table I, for the cross-sectional and longitudinal components respectively.

The reference is to the effective sample size, which is the size required if the survey were based on simple random sampling (design effect in relation to the 'risk of poverty rate' variable = 1.0). The actual sample sizes will have to be larger to the extent that the design effects exceed 1.0 and to compensate for all kinds of non-response. Furthermore, the sample size refers to the number of valid households which are households for which, and for all members of which, all or nearly all the required information has been obtained. For countries with a sample of persons design, information on income and other data shall be collected for the household of each selected respondent and for all its members.

At the beginning, a cross-sectional representative sample of households is selected. It is divided into say 4 sub-samples, each by itself representative of the whole population and similar in structure to the whole sample. One sub-sample is purely cross-sectional and is not followed up after the first round. Respondents in the second sub-sample are requested to participate in the panel for 2 years, in the third sub-sample for 3 years, and in the fourth for 4 years. From year 2 onwards, one new panel is introduced each year, with request for participation for 4 years. In any one year, the sample consists of 4 sub-samples, which together constitute the cross-sectional sample. In year 1 they are all new samples; in all subsequent years, only one is new sample. In year 2, three are panels in the second year; in year 3, one is a panel in the second year and two in the third year; in subsequent years, one is a panel for the second year, one for the third year, and one for the fourth (final) year.

According to the Commission Regulation on sampling and tracing rules, the selection of the sample will be drawn according to the following requirements:

1. For all components of EU-SILC (whether survey or register based), the cross-sectional and longitudinal (initial sample) data shall be based on a nationally representative probability sample of the population residing in private households within the country, irrespective of language, nationality or legal residence status. All private households and all persons aged 16 and over within the household are eligible for the operation.
2. Representative probability samples shall be achieved both for households, which form the basic units of sampling, data collection and data analysis, and for individual persons in the target population.
3. The sampling frame and methods of sample selection shall ensure that every individual and household in the target population is assigned a known and non-zero probability of selection.
4. By way of exception, paragraphs 1 to 3 shall apply in Germany exclusively to the part of the sample based on probability sampling according to Article 8 of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EC) No 1177/2003 concerning

Community Statistics on Income and Living Conditions. Article 8 of the EU-SILC Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council mentions: 1. The cross-sectional and longitudinal data shall be based on nationally representative probability samples. 2. By way of exception to paragraph 1, Germany shall supply cross-sectional data based on a nationally representative probability sample for the first time for the year 2008. For the year 2005, Germany shall supply data for one fourth based on probability sampling and for three fourths based on quota samples, the latter to be progressively replaced by random selection so as to achieve fully representative probability sampling by 2008. For the longitudinal component, Germany shall supply for the year 2006 one third of longitudinal data (data for year 2005 and 2006) based on probability sampling and two thirds based on quota samples. For the year 2007, half of the longitudinal data relating to years 2005, 2006 and 2007 shall be based on probability sampling and half on quota sample. After 2007 all of the longitudinal data shall be based on probability sampling.

Detailed information about sampling is available in Quality Reports in Documentation.

Mode of data collection

Mixed

Attitude towards the EU. EU enlargement and the European Constitution. Economy in the EU and in the world. Innovative products and services.

Topics: 1. Attitude towards the EU: frequency of political discussions with friends and personal opinion leadership; life satisfaction; expected development for the next twelve months regarding: personal life in general, the financial situation of the own household, the personal job situation, the national economic and employment situation; comparison of the current personal situation with five years ago and expected development in the next five years; trust in institutions (justice, political parties, national government, national parliament, European Union, and the United Nations); assessment of the EU membership of the own country as a good thing; benefits from the EU membership for the own country; (in Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, and Northern Cyprus was asked: assessment of a future EU membership as a good thing; advantages of a future EU membership for the own country); image of the EU from the perspective of the respondent; attitude towards a European political union; meaning of the EU to the respondent; feelings towards the EU (enthusiasm or rejection); attitude towards the EU: feeling of safety, more stable economically and politically through existing or future EU membership of the own country, own political efficacy, understanding of the processes of the EU, national interests are taken into account by the EU, growing influence of the own country in the EU, superiority of the large countries in the EU; expected and desired role of the EU in daily life in five years; fears related to the European Union: power loss for smaller member states, increase in drug trafficking, less frequent use of the national language, increasing payments of the own country to the EU, loss of social benefits, loss of national identity and culture, economic crisis, transfer of jobs to other EU member countries with lower production costs, more difficulties for farmers; frequency of the reception of news on television, in newspapers, or on the radio; self-assessment of the personal knowledge on the EU (scale); used information sources about the EU; assessment of the extent of media coverage in the own country by topics regarding the EU as well as the image evoked; knowledge of EU institutions: European Parliament, European Commission, Council of the European Union, Court of Justice of the European Communities, and European Central Bank; importance of each of these EU institutions and trust in them; knowledge test on the European Union (number of member states, electoral procedure for the European Parliament, anthem, time of the last elections to the European Parliament); most important problems in the own country; attitude towards the role of the European Union in selected national issues; attitude towards: a European Monetary Union with the euro as common currency, a common foreign policy towards countries outside the EU, a common security and defence policy, EU enlargement, an EU constitution, a two-speed Europe, teaching about EU institutions at school; prioritized future EU issues; attitude towards increasing the budget of the European Union given political goals; knowledge of the field on which most of the EU budget is spent; attitude towards selected suggestions regarding the further development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European Security and Defence Policy (rapid military reaction force, common position of the EU member states in international crisis, own foreign minister as spokesman for the EU, own seat on the UN Security Council, independence of the EU´s foreign policy of the one of the USA, worldwide efforts of the EU to guarantee human rights, common immigration and asylum policy); positive or negative role of the United States and the European Union regarding the following topics: peace in the world, fight against terrorism, global economic growth, fight against poverty in the world, and environmental protection; comparison of the importance of the European Union at present with five years ago; satisfaction with the democracy in the own country and in the European Union; personal attachment to the own city, the own region, the own country, and Europe; positive or negative connotation of selected terms (company, monopoly, competitiveness, social security, free trade, protectionism, globalisation, public service, trade union, reforms).

1. EU enlarge...

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

In 2023 Germany's contribution to the budget of the European Union was more than 29 billion Euros, the highest of any EU member state. France was the next highest contributor at 26 billion Euros. followed by Italy at 16 billion Euros and Spain at 11.1 billion Euros. The country which contributed the lowest amount was the small island nation of Malta, at 151.9 million Euros. Largest economies in Europe The amount which EU member states contribute to the EU budget is heavily linked to the size of its economy. Germany, for example, has the largest economy in the whole of the EU, with Gross domestic product reaching almost 4.12 trillion Euros in 2023. France and Italy have the second and third largest economies in Europe with GDPs of 2.8 and 2.1 trillion euros respectively.

European Union Imports from United States was US$355.76 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. European Union Imports from United States - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on July of 2025.