The FINANCIAL — Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) is a measure of material welfare of households. Across the Member States in 2015, AIC per capita expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) varied from 53% of the European Union (EU) average in Bulgaria to 137% in Luxembourg.
Ten Member States above the EU average
Ten Member States recorded AIC per capita above the EU average in 2015. The highest level in the EU was recorded in Luxembourg, 37% above the EU average, ahead of Germany (more than 20% above). They were followed by Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Sweden which all recorded levels between 10% and 20% above the EU average.
AIC per capita for thirteen Member States lay between the EU average and 30% below. In Italy, Ireland and Cyprus, the levels were 10% or less below the EU average, while Spain, Lithuania, Portugal and Malta were between 10% and 20% below. The Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and Estonia were between 20% and 30% below the average.
Five Member States recorded AIC per capita more than 30% below the EU average. Latvia and Hungary were between 30% and 40% below, while Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria had AIC per capita more than 40% below the EU average.
Over the last three years, AIC per capita relative to the EU average remained relatively stable in a majority of Member States. However, clear increases have been registered in Romania (59% of the EU average in 2015 compared with 54% in 2013), Bulgaria (53% vs. 49%) and Lithuania (83% vs. 79%), as well as Estonia (71% vs. 68%). In contrast, the most noticeable decrease was recorded in Luxembourg (137% in 2015 vs. 145% in 2013), followed by the Netherlands (111% vs. 115%), Austria (119% vs. 123%) and Greece (77% vs. 80%).
GDP per capita varied by almost one to six across the Member States
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a measure of economic activity. In 2015, GDP per capita expressed in PPS ranged between 47% of the EU average in Bulgaria and 264% in Luxembourg.
