Key figures on the EU in the world – tourism earnings

Key figures on the EU in the world combines Eurostat data with international sources to provide a clear picture of the EU’s position in the global arena. Today, we highlight the EU’s role in the world tourism sector. The EU received 25.9% of worldwide receipts from international tourism in 2023: 15.2% was from international tourism between EU countries, while 10.7% came from non-EU tourists. Considering EU countries individually, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands, Croatia and Poland would rank among the countries with at least 1.0% of worldwide receipts from international tourism. In 2023, 18 non-EU countries received at least 1.0% of worldwide receipts from international tourism. The United States had a 12.3% share, which was far higher than the share recorded for other non-EU countries; the United Kingdom had the next highest share (4.8%). Source datasets: bop_its6_det and the World Tourism Organization The Key figures on the EU in the world publication allows you to compare the EU’s performance globally across a wide range of topics. For a more detailed view of the EU’s performance in various fields, explore other Key figures publications as well.

Deaths by drowning in the EU down by 4% in 2022

With summer in full swing, beaches and pools are bustling with activity; however, they also carry a heightened risk of drowning incidents. In 2022, there were 4 810 deaths by drowning and submersion in the EU, 194 fewer than in 2021 (5 004), indicating a 3.9% decrease. The share of drownings and submersion fatalities out of all accidental deaths also decreased slightly from 3.1% in 2021 to 2.8% in 2022, making this the lowest share since the data collection started in 2011, when drownings and submersion fatalities represented 4.2% of all accidental deaths. Among EU countries, in 2022, the highest number of drowning and submersion deaths was reported in France (784), which accounts for 16.3% of all drowning fatalities in the EU, followed by Germany (542), Poland (535), Romania (472) and Spain (449). The lowest numbers in the EU were recorded in Luxembourg (1), Malta (3), Cyprus (13) and Slovenia (25). Source dataset: hlth_cd_aro As in previous years, drowning deaths were more common among men than women. In 2022, this was the case in all EU countries. However, in Slovenia (14 men, 11 women), the difference was less substantial than in other EU countries. In Luxembourg, the only victim was male.

1.45 million new battery-only electric cars in 2024

In 2024, 1.45 million new battery-only electric passenger cars were registered in the EU, a decrease of 6.1% compared with 2023 (1.55 million). This brought the total number of battery-only electric cars to 5.87 million, representing an increase in the fleet of 32.4% compared with 2023 (4.43 million). This information comes from data published by Eurostat. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on passenger cars in the EU. Source datasets: road_eqr_carpda, road_eqr_zev The share of battery-only electric cars among all new registrations fell to 13.6% in 2024, 1.0 percentage point (pp) below the level in 2023 (14.6%). This share had remained below 1% until 2018, but grown notably in recent years, rising to 5.3% in 2020, 9.0% in 2021 and 12.1% in 2022. While plug-in hybrid cars recorded a decline of 6.5%, similar to battery-only electric passenger cars, the total number of new hybrid passenger cars increased by 12.7% in 2024 (3.95 million) compared with 2023 (3.50 million). The highest shares of battery-only electric cars in new registered cars were found in Denmark (51.3%), Malta (37.7%) and Sweden (34.9%). By contrast, the lowest recorded shares were in Croatia (1.8%), Slovakia (2.4%) and Poland (3.0%). Source datasets: road_eqs_carpda, road_eqs_zev Regarding other types of new battery-only electric vehicles, which are much fewer than new battery-only electric passenger cars, the number of new heavy lorries increased the most from 2023 to 2024, by 39.7%, followed by road tractors (+35.5%) and motor coaches and buses (+28.2%), while there was a decrease for light lorries (-10.8%). Despite some significant increases, their total number showed a decrease of 6.8% compared with 2023.

W Polsce jest więcej psów niż dzieci. To symptom głębszych zmian społecznych

W 2023 r. w Polsce żyło 8,5 mln psów i 7,2 mln dzieci – o 1,3 mln mniej. To efekt równoczesnego wzrostu liczby zwierząt domowych i spadku urodzeń, wskazujący na strukturalne zmiany w stylu życia, relacjach społecznych i sytuacji ekonomicznej młodego pokolenia.

EU ice cream production sees uptick of 2% in 2024

In 2024, the EU produced 3.3 billion litres of ice cream, representing a 2% increase from 2023 (3.2 billion litres). Germany remained the top producer of ice cream in the EU, producing 607 million litres in 2024. France (501 million litres) and Italy (492 million litres) followed at the top. The list of main...

Beer production increases to 34.7 billion litres

In 2024, EU countries produced 32.7 billion (bn) litres of beer containing more than 0.5% alcohol and 2 bn litres of beer with less than 0.5% alcohol or with no alcohol content at all, totalling 34.7 bn litres. Compared with 2023, the production of beer with more than 0.5% alcohol in the EU increased slightly by 0.6% (+0.2 bn litres), while the production of beer with less than 0.5% alcohol rose by 11.1% (+0.2 bn litres). The list of top EU producers remains unchanged in 2024. Germany continued to lead as the top producer of beer with more than 0.5% alcohol, with 7.2 bn litres (22.2% of the total EU production), the same as in 2023. Germany was followed at a distance by Spain, with 4.0 bn litres (12.3% of the total EU production) and Poland with 3.4 bn litres (10.6%). The Netherlands, with 2.2 bn litres (6.8%) and Belgium, with 2.1 bn litres (6.3%), also featured in the top 5 producers. Source dataset: DS-056120 The Netherlands top exporter and France top importer Maintaining its record as the top exporter of beer, the Netherlands led among EU countries with a total (intra- and extra-EU) of 1.5 bn litres of beer containing alcohol exported in 2024. Compared with 2023, however, this country saw a decrease of 12% (-0.2 bn litres) in beer exports. The Netherlands was followed by Germany and Belgium (both exporting 1.4 bn litres), Czechia (0.6 bn litres) and Ireland (0.5 bn litres) as the main exporters in 2024. For imports, France continued to be the largest importer of beer containing alcohol in 2024, with 0.8 bn litres. The other big importers were Italy with more than 0.7 bn litres, followed by Spain and Germany each with almost 0.6 bn litres, and the Netherlands with almost 0.5 bn litres. Source dataset: DS-045409 This news article marks International Beer Day, celebrated each year on the first Friday of August.

Asylum applications continued to decline in April 2025

In April 2025, 48 520 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, marking a 37% decrease compared with April 2024 (77 105) and a 16% decline compared with March 2025 (57 925). There were also 7 245 subsequent applicants, representing a 1% decrease compared with April 2024 (7 300) and a 2% fall compared with March 2025 (7 430). April was the third month in a row in which both asylum and subsequent applications declined. This information comes from the monthly asylum data published by Eurostat today. Source dataset: migr_asyappctzm Largest group of asylum seekers from Venezuela In April 2025, Venezuelans remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (7 015 first-time applicants), followed by Afghans (5 125), Syrians (2 895) and Ukrainians (2 115). Spain, France, Germany and Italy received 75% of first-time applicants Spain (11 305), France (11 105), Germany (9 105) and Italy (4 780), received the highest number of first-time asylum applicants, accounting for three-quarters (75%) of all first-time applicants in the EU. The EU total rate of first-time asylum applicants in April 2025 was 10.8 per hundred thousand people. Compared with the population of each EU country (on 1 January 2025), the highest rates of first-time applicants were recorded in Greece (29.7), ahead of Cyprus (24.6) and Spain (23.0). 1 570 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum Source dataset: migr_asyumactm In April 2025, a total of 1 570 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU. The highest numbers came from Syria (235), Afghanistan (195) and Egypt (145). The EU country that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors was Germany (395), followed by Spain (330) and the Netherlands (200).

Duration of working life averaged 37.2 years in 2024

In 2024, the expected average duration of working life for 15-year-olds and over in the EU was 37.2 years. However, the expected average duration of working life varied broadly among EU countries. In 6 EU countries, the average duration of working life was 40 years or higher: the Netherlands (43.8 years), Sweden (43.0), Denmark (42.5), Estonia (41.4), Ireland (40.4) and Germany (40.0). By contrast, the lowest working life durations were recorded in Romania (32.7 years), Italy (32.8) and Croatia, Greece and Bulgaria (each 34.8). This information comes from data on employment and unemployment published by Eurostat. This article presents some of the findings from the more detailed account in the related Statistics Explained article. Source dataset: lfsi_dwl_a For men, the expected duration of working life was on average 39.2 years in the EU, with the longest durations recorded in the Netherlands (45.7 years), Denmark (44.2), and Sweden (40.0 years), and the shortest in Romania (35.9), Croatia and Bulgaria (each 36.0). As for women, the average duration of working life in the EU was 35.0 years, with the longest durations recorded in Estonia (42.2), followed by Sweden (42.0) and the Netherlands (41.8). The shortest durations were registered in Italy (28.2), Romania (29.2) and Greece (31.1). Source dataset: lfsi_dwl_a In the last 10 years, the expected average duration of working life in the EU increased by 2.4 years, from 34.8 to the current 37.2 years.

How many hospital beds does the EU have?

Disclaimer: values for hospital beds in 2022 and 2013 were updated after publication. In 2023, the EU had 511 hospital beds per 100 000 people, a small decrease from the 517 registered in 2022. This reduction is more pronounced when compared with 2013, when the EU average was 552. When looking at this evolution, it’s important to note that scientific and technological developments have shortened the average length of stay for many in-patient procedures or replaced them with out-patient or day care alternatives. Among the EU countries, Bulgaria reported the highest ratio relative to its population size, with an average of 864 hospital beds per 100 000 people, followed by Germany (766), Romania (728), Austria (660) and Hungary (651). Conversely, 7 EU countries had less than 300 hospital beds per 100 000 people, marking the lowest ratios: Sweden (187), the Netherlands (231), Denmark (233), Finland (260), Spain (288), Ireland (289) and Cyprus (298). Source dataset: hlth_rs_bds1 In terms of long-term care beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities, in 2023, among the 26 countries for which data are available, the highest rates were registered in the Netherlands (1 400 long-term care beds per 100 000 people), Sweden (1 315) and Belgium (1 250). Greece (20 long-term care beds per 100 000 people) and Bulgaria (26) registered the lowest rates, followed by Poland (222). Source dataset: hlth_rs_bdltc

97% of young people in the EU use the internet daily

In 2024, 97% of people in the EU aged 16-29 years reported using the internet every day compared with 88% of the total population, a difference of 9 percentage points (pp). This gap has been consistently narrowing during the past decade. In 2014, 87% of young people used the internet daily, while the share of the total population was 63% (a gap of 24 pp). Source dataset: isoc_ci_ifp_fu In all EU countries, young people were much more likely to participate in social network activities than the total population. Creating a user profile and posting messages or related activities was a widespread practice for 88% of 16 to 29-year-olds compared with 65% of the total population. The highest share of 16 to 29-year-olds who participated in social network activities was found in Czechia (99%), ahead of Cyprus and Greece (both 98%). Meanwhile, France (70%, 2023 data), Italy (80%) and Germany, Slovakia and Bulgaria (all 84%) registered the lowest shares. Source dataset: isoc_ci_ac_i This article marks World Youth Skills Day on 15 July, which focuses this year on youth empowerment through AI and digital skills.

Upper secondary education: 60% study 2 or more languages

In 2023, 60.0% of students in upper secondary general education across the EU studied 2 or more foreign languages as compulsory subjects or as compulsory curriculum options. This was a 0.8 percentage points (pp) decrease compared with 2022 (60.8%). In upper secondary vocational education, this share was 34.8%, marking a 1.0 pp increase compared with 2022 (33.8%). In 9 EU countries, more than 90% of upper secondary general education students studied 2 or more foreign languages. The highest shares were registered in France (99.8%), Romania (99.1%) and Czechia (98.5%). By contrast, Portugal (6.7%), Ireland (10.4%) and Spain (22.4%) recorded the lowest shares of students studying 2 or more foreign languages. Source dataset: educ_uoe_lang02 Regarding upper secondary vocational education, Romania was the only EU country where almost all students (97.2%) studied 2 or more foreign languages in 2023, followed by Finland (85.0%) and Poland (78.0%). The lowest shares of students studying 2 or more foreign languages were observed among vocational education students in Malta (0.0%), Spain and Greece (both 0.1%). English tops foreign language in upper secondary education In 2023, English was the most studied foreign language in general and vocational education at the upper secondary level in the EU, with 96.0% and 80.1% of students learning it, respectively. In terms of general education, Spanish ranked second (27.1%), followed by German (21.2%), French (20.8%) and Italian (3.2%). In vocational education, the German language came in second (18.1%), followed by French (14.1%), Spanish (6.6%) and Russian (2.3%). Source dataset: educ_uoe_lang01

EU people turn to internet for cultural purposes

In 2024, people in the EU widely used the internet for cultural purposes. The most common activity was watching TV or videos online, reported by 79% of internet users. This was followed by reading online news sites, newspapers or news magazines (70%), listening to or downloading music (65%) and playing or downloading games (34%). The highest shares of internet users watching TV or videos online were recorded in the Netherlands and Finland (both 96%) and Cyprus (94%), while the lowest were observed in Romania (44%), Bulgaria (55%) and Slovakia (63%). Reading news online (from sites, newspapers or magazines) was reported by 91% of internet users in Czechia, 90% in Finland and 89% in Cyprus. By contrast, the lowest shares were in Romania (50%), France (56%) and Italy (62%). Source dataset: isoc_ci_ac_i Over one-third of users bought cultural goods and services online In 2024, 36% of internet users in the EU purchased some kind of cultural goods and services online. Subscriptions were popular, particularly those to films, series and sports streaming services (30%) and to music streaming services (21%). One-quarter of internet users (25%) bought tickets to events. When it comes to reading habits, printed books, magazines and newspapers (16%) were more popular than e-books and audio books (7%). Additionally, internet users paid to download software (11%), games (10%) and a minor part purchased physical copies of other audiovisual contents such as music and films or series (6%). Source dataset: isoc_ec_ibgs

Produkcja wyrobów przemysłowych w 2024 r.

Główny Urząd Statystyczny - Portal Statystyki Publicznej

EU road freight transport sees 0.6% increase in 2024

In 2024, road freight transport in the EU remained robust, with the total annual volume reaching 1 869 billion tonne-kilometres, slightly up from 1 857 billion in 2023, representing a marginal 0.6% year-on-year increase. Poland continued to lead all EU countries in road freight transport in 2024, registering a total of 368 billion tonne-kilometres, nearly 20% of the EU total. It was followed by Germany, with 281 billion (15%); Spain, with 272 billion (15%); France, with 174 billion (9%); and Italy, with 153 billion (8%). These 5 countries accounted for 67% of the total EU road freight transport. Among smaller economies, notable volumes were also recorded in Czechia (70 billion), Romania (67 billion), Lithuania (66 billion) and the Netherlands (63 billion). This information comes from data on road freight transport published by Eurostat today. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on road freight transport statistics. Source dataset: road_go_ta_tott In terms of groups of products transported in 2024, the top 10 remained the same as in 2023. This stability reflects consistent transport demand across essential supply chains such as food, agriculture, construction materials, and chemicals. Food products, beverages and tobacco continued to dominate, with 312 billion tonne-kilometres in 2024, followed by grouped goods (different goods transported together), with 237 billion tonne-kilometres. Agriculture, forestry and fishing products came in third place, with 208 billion tonne-kilometres, followed by other non-metallic mineral products (137 billion), metal ores and other mining/quarrying products (132 billion), and chemicals (116 billion). Source dataset: road_go_ta_tg

Nearly 25% of EU households had at least 1 child in 2024

In 2024, in the EU, there were nearly 202 million private households. Slightly less than a quarter of those (23.6%) included children, whereas 76.4% did not. The highest shares of households with children were in Slovakia (35.6%), Ireland (31.0%) and Cyprus (28.6%). By contrast, the lowest shares were registered in Finland (18.0%), Lithuania (19.6%) and Germany (20.1%). Source dataset: lfs_hhnhtych Households with children: 1 child is the most common In 2024, almost half (49.8%) of households with children in the EU had 1 child, 37.6% had 2 children, and 12.6% had 3 or more children. Households with 1 child were predominant in all EU countries, except in the Netherlands, where the share of households with 2 children was higher. Households with 3 children or more were the least common across all EU countries. Their percentage among all households with children ranged from 20.6% in Ireland, 18.1% in Sweden and 17.4% in Finland, to 6.2% in Portugal, 6.4% in Bulgaria and 7.6% in Italy. Source dataset: lfst_hhnhtych

Key data on the Dublin system in 2024

In 2024, EU countries sent 151 830 outgoing requests to transfer the responsibility to examine asylum applications to other EU countries, and implemented 16 455 outgoing transfers. Compared with the previous year, this represents a decrease of approximately 19% in requests (186 910 in 2023) and 3% in transfers (16 869 in 2023). Dublin statistics provide information on the functioning of the Dublin system, which establishes which EU country is responsible for examining an asylum application. Source datasets: migr_dubro and migr_dubto The largest numbers of outgoing requests using the Dublin procedure were sent by Germany (74 581), France (30 986) and Belgium (12 501), representing 78% of all outgoing requests in 2024. The lowest numbers recorded were sent by Latvia (32), Spain (52) and Slovakia (66). The largest numbers of outgoing transfers were implemented by Germany (5 827), followed by France (2 624) and the Netherlands (2 245). By contrast, Spain (2), Portugal (3) and Ireland (6) reported the lowest numbers of outgoing transfers. Source datasets: migr_dubri and migr_dubti In 2024, 167 561 incoming requests and 16 828 incoming transfers from other EU countries were recorded. Italy received the largest number of incoming requests (42 807), ahead of Croatia (23 721) and Greece (17 163), which in total represented 50% of all incoming requests in 2024. Ireland recorded the fewest incoming requests (92), followed by Estonia (129) and Slovakia (232). The largest numbers of incoming transfers were implemented by Germany (4 591), France (2 201) and Croatia (1 698). Meanwhile, Estonia (6), Cyprus (9) and Ireland (14) reported the lowest numbers.

House prices and rents continue to rise in early 2025

In the first quarter of 2025, house prices in the EU rose by 5.7%, while rents increased by 3.2% compared with the same quarter of 2024. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2024, house prices increased by 1.4% and rents by 0.9%. This information comes from data on house prices and rents published by Eurostat today. This article presents the main findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on housing price statistics. Between 2010 and the first quarter of 2025, house prices in the EU increased by 57.9% and rents by 27.8%. While rents have increased steadily, house prices have followed a more variable pattern, showing a staggering increase between the first quarter of 2015 and the third quarter of 2022, followed by a small drop and stabilization, before increasing again since 2024. Source datasets: prc_hpi_q and prc_hicp_midx When comparing the first quarter of 2025 with 2010, house prices increased more than rents in 21 of the 26 EU countries for which data are available. Over the same period, house prices more than tripled in Hungary (+260%) and Estonia (+238%) and doubled or more than doubled in 9 EU countries: Lithuania (+194%), Latvia (+154%), Czechia (+147%), Portugal (+130%), Bulgaria (+125%), Austria (+113%), Luxembourg and Poland (both +102%) and Slovakia (+100%). Italy was the only country where house prices decreased (-4%). During the same period, rents increased in 26 EU countries, with the highest rises registered in Estonia (+220%), Lithuania (+184%), Hungary (+124%) and Ireland (+115%). Greece was the only country where rent prices decreased (-11%). Source datasets: prc_hpi_a, prc_hpi_q, prc_hicp_aind, prc_hicp_midx

Rising share of ICT specialists among employed people

In 2024, more than 10 million people were employed as information and communication technology (ICT) specialists across the EU, representing 5.0% of all employed people. This reflects a continuing upward trend, with the share rising by 0.2 percentage points compared with the previous year and by 1.6 percentage points since 2014. Sweden recorded the highest share of ICT specialists in total employment (8.6%), followed by Luxembourg (8.0%) and Finland (7.8%). By contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Greece (2.5%), Romania (2.8%) and Italy (4.0%). Source dataset: isoc_sks_itspt Only 1 in 5 ICT specialists was a woman Women made up 19.5% of ICT specialists employed in the EU in 2024, while 80.5% were men. The lowest shares of women employed as ICT specialists were recorded in Czechia (13.0%), Malta (14.7%) and Hungary (15.2%). On the other hand, the highest shares of women employed as ICT specialists were in Estonia (27.6%), Romania (27.3%) and Bulgaria (27.0%). Source dataset: isoc_sks_itsps