On June 9, some 450 million European citizens are called to the polls to elect their deputies. If the electoral rules are the same for all member states and the elected representatives sit within the same Parliament, disparities are still very present on the Old Continents between the different states. Salaries, population, debt… Here are five statistics to know about the 27.
1 · Minimum wage: 5.4 times higher in Luxembourg than in Bulgaria
477 euros. The minimum gross monthly salary in Bulgaria may have almost tripled in ten years, but in 2024 it remains the lowest of the 27 member states. A Bulgarian minimum wage must work more than five months (5.4 exactly) to reach the minimum wage in Luxembourg (2,571 euros). This figure illustrates the great disparities between the 27 EU member states. France is in sixth place among countries imposing the highest minimum (1,767 euros).
In total, in 13 countries, the minimum wage is less than 1,000 euros. We mainly find the latest states to have joined the EU and the Eastern countries, but also Portugal (957 euros) and Greece (910 euros). Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland and Sweden do not have a national minimum wage. In these five countries, negotiations by branch and with social partners set a minimum remuneration.
2· Population: 542,000 inhabitants in Malta, the smallest Member State
At 1East January 2023, the European Union had 448.8 million inhabitants, a number up by almost 2 million people over one year. Immigration notably more than compensates for the negative natural balance. Since Brexit and the departure of the United Kingdom in 2020, the EU fell below 500 million inhabitants. Germany is the most populous country (84 million), ahead of France (68 million) and Italy (59 million). Together with Spain (48 million) and Poland (36 million), these five most populous nations represent two-thirds of the population.
In contrast, three countries have less than a million inhabitants. Malta is the least populated (542,000 people), with Luxembourg (660,800) and Cyprus (920,700). The explanation is simple. These three states are also the three smallest in the EU in terms of surface area. The total area of Malta is 316 km², or 27 times smaller than Corsica. Even the principality of Andorra with its 464 km2 is larger.
3 · Birth rate: France remains fertility champion (for the moment)
If Germany is still the most populous country in Europe, it is France which remains the most fertile. According to 2021 data, French couples are those who have the most children on the Old Continent, with a fertility indicator of 1.8 children per woman of childbearing age. It is closely followed by the Eastern countries, notably the Czech Republic and Romania. The so-called “southern” countries, on the other hand, saw the birth rate drop sharply in the 2010s, as a result of the economic crisis coupled with public policies unfavorable to childcare and family benefits.
However, France could lose its medal as European fertility champion: the number of births has fallen significantly in recent years, with a drop of 7% between 2022 and 2023 . Last year, the fertility indicator for French women fell to 1.68 children per woman, a sign that France is also experiencing a downward demographic transition, like neighboring countries.
4· GDP: double-digit growth for “Club Med” countries
If Malta experienced the strongest growth of the Member States in 2023 (5.7%), the highlight of recent months lies in the unprecedented turnaround in the economic history of the EU. Last year, the growth of Spain of Portugal and some Greece – sometimes nicknamed the “Club Med” countries – has exceeded that of the countries of northern Europe. Spain’s GDP grew by 2.5%, Portugal’s grew by 2.3% and Greece’s by 2.2%.
In total, 16 of the 27 member states saw their GDP grow last year. That of France only increased by 0.9% but that of Germany fell by 0.3%. Ireland (-3.2%) and Estonia (-3%) experienced the sharpest recessions. At Union level, growth stagnated at 0.5%.
5 · Public debt: Greece still lagging behind
The weight of public debt shrank last year in the eurozone thanks to inflation: it fell from 90.8% at the end of 2022 to 88.6% at the end of 2023. The countries of southern Europe recorded the largest drop in the weight of debt: Portugal (-13 points), Greece (-11 points) and Spain (-4 points) continue their budgetary efforts.
But Greece remains, as it has for twenty years now, the most indebted country in Europe, by far. In 2023, it will have a debt of 161% of its GDP. Italy, France, Spain and Belgium also have a level of debt greater than 100% of national wealth. The best European student is Estonia, indebted to the tune of 20% of GDP.
