Consumption per capita among EU countries varies substantially in 2015

As a measure of material welfare of households, Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) per capita varied substantially in 2015 among the European Union (EU) member states, with the highest rate nearly triple the lowest, official figures showed Wednesday.

The highest level of AIC per capita expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) in the 28-nation block was recorded in Luxembourg with a level of 37 percent above the EU average, according to figures published by Eurostat, the EU statistical office.

Germany was 25 percent above the average and there were 8 other EU countries recorded AIC per capita above the EU average in 2015.

Meanwhile, six EU member states recorded AIC per capita more than 30 below the EU average. Estonia, Latvia and Hungary were between 30 percent and 40 percent below, while Croatia and Romania had AIC per capita just over 40 percent below the EU average. Bulgaria was around 50 percent below.

Eurostat said gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, a measure of economic activity, also shows substantial differences between the EU member states.

In 2015, GDP per capita expressed in PPS ranged between 46 percent of the EU average in Bulgaria to 271 percent in Luxembourg.

Eleven EU countries recorded a level of GDP per capita above the EU average in 2015. Endit