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European Union at a Glance PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 08 May 2014

Statistical portrait with innovative table-graphs for 30 selected indicators over 28 countries in time perspective


European Union at a Glance presents an easily understandable overview of 30 selected indicators over 28 EU countries in time, which is probably the most condensed current summary picture of dynamics and disparities in the EU over many domains over time.

The Gaptimer Report No. 3 is timely publication very useful for discussion of the situation in the EU in light of the forthcoming new European Commission and European Parliament and at the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the largest EU expansion in 2004.

List of 30 selected indicators

 

Indicators

Data range

Top country (last year)

1

Life expectancy at birth

1960-2012

Spain

2

Human Development Index

1980-2012

Netherlands

3

GDP per capita in PPS

1995-2012

Luxembourg

4

Median income in PPS

1995-2013

Luxembourg

5

Employment rate (15 to 64 years)

1992-2012

Netherlands

6

Activity rate (15 to 64 years)

1992-2012

Sweden

7

Share of gross fixed investment in GDP

1954-2013

Estonia

8

R&D expenditure (GERD), percent of GDP

1981-2012

Finland

9

Summary Innovation Index

2008-2012

Sweden

10

Tertiary attainment for age group 15-64

2000-2013

Ireland

11

Proportion of population aged 65 years and more

1961-2013

Italy

12

Old age dependency ratio, projections 2013-2080

2013-2080

Slovakia

13

Population growth rates, total

1961-2013

Luxembourg

14

Persons killed in road accidents per million inhabitants

1990-2012

United Kingdom

15

Death due to homicide, standardised death rate by 100 000 inh.

1994-2010

United Kingdom

16

Infant mortality rate

1960-2012

Slovenia

17

At-risk-of-poverty (percent of total population)

1995-2012

Czech Republic

18

At-risk-of-poverty (percent of elderly population)

1995-2013

Hungary

19

Income quintile share ratio S80/S20

1995-2013

Slovenia

20

GINI coefficient

1995-2013

Slovenia

21

Early leavers from education and training

1992-2013

Croatia

22

Healthy life years at birth - females

1995-2012

Malta

23

Healthy life years at birth - males

1999-2012

Malta

24

Households with broadband access

2003-2013

Finland

25

Regular Internet use

2003-2013

Luxembourg

26

Share of energy from renewable sources

2004-2012

Sweden

27

Urban population exposure to air pollution by particulate matter PM10

1997-2011

Denmark

28

Publications per million inhabitants

1994-2010

Denmark

29

Proportion of seats in national parliaments held by women

2000-2013

Sweden

30

Current account balance in % of GDP

1975-2013

Netherlands



AN ADDITIONAL WAY OF PRESENTATION ACROSS MANY UNITS AND MANY YEARS

It uses innovative time matrix presentation format that enables such condensed summary visual presentation over many countries and over time. Secondly, 30 selected indicators from many Eurostat indicators systems like Quality of life; Sustainable Development Indicators, Digital Agenda, Headline Indicators, etc. follow the orientation of Beyond GDP. Annex A1 provides Time Matrix Calculator to calculate time matrix for your own data. 

The 30 time matrices give rich food for thought and imagination of readers can find numerous comparisons and stories in the material. One of them is that the damage done to countries by the world financial crisis is seen in a much greater scale when we look for 28 countries beyond GDP and look at employment, investment share, risk of poverty, income distribution, health, etc.

While media and also official organizations are focusing on discussion of GDP growth rate, such orientation understated the severity of the crisis.

Other domains showed a more difficult situation:

  •  employment rate fell in 20 EU countries;
  •  in all 28 EU countries without exception share of gross investment in GDP decreased;
  •  risk of poverty as percent of total population increased in 24 EU countries;
  •  income distribution worsened as Gini coefficient and income quartile share ratio increased in 25 EU countries;
  •  healthy life years at birth decreased for males and females in 15-18 EU countries.

The voyage through 30 time matrices for 28 countries compressed a very large amount of data, expressing multidimensional nature of development and well-being, indicating both visually and in numbers that very large differences exist between EU countries with respects to levels and dynamics. Using the innovative approach of time distance methodology the telling power of S-time-matrix provided a good summary overview at-a-glance over many domains with clear understanding to decision-makers as well as to the general public. Seeing with new eyes creates new knowledge and better understanding.

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