Methodology

Understanding how we calculate Europe's aggregate statistics for accurate, transparent comparisons

Why This Matters

When comparing Europe with single countries like the USA, India, or China, we need a single aggregate number for Europe. This requires careful calculation to ensure accuracy and fairness.

The key principle: All metrics are population-weighted to reflect the true European experience. A simple average would give Luxembourg the same weight as Germany, which wouldn't be representative.

🌍 What Defines "Europe"?

🗺️ Countries Included

We include 50 European countries in our calculations, representing a total population of 735M people.

Data coverage: 31/50 countries have both GDP and population data.

Missing GDP: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican . • Missing both: Liechtenstein .

Population Distribution:

Russia

150M 19.8%

Turkey

87M 11.9%

Germany

85M 11.5%

United Kingdom

69M 9.3%

France

66M 9.0%

Italy

59M 8.1%

Spain

48M 6.5%

Poland

39M 5.3%

Ukraine

38M 5.1%

Romania

19M 2.6%

Netherlands

18M 2.5%

Belgium

12M 1.6%

Czechia

11M 1.5%

Sweden

11M 1.4%

Portugal

10M 1.4%

Azerbaijan

10M 1.4%

Greece

10M 1.4%

Hungary

9.7M 1.3%

Austria

9.1M 1.2%

Belarus

9.1M 1.2%

Switzerland

8.9M 1.2%

Bulgaria

6.8M 0.9%

Serbia

6.8M 0.9%

Denmark

5.9M 0.8%

Finland

5.6M 0.8%

Norway

5.5M 0.8%

Slovakia

5.5M 0.8%

Ireland

5.2M 0.7%

Croatia

3.9M 0.5%

Georgia

3.8M 0.5%

Bosnia & Herzegovina

3.2M 0.4%

Moldova

3.1M 0.4%

Armenia

2.9M 0.4%

Lithuania

2.9M 0.4%

Albania

2.8M 0.4%

Slovenia

2.1M 0.3%

Latvia

1.9M 0.3%

North Macedonia

1.8M 0.3%

Kosovo

1.7M 0.2%

Estonia

1.4M 0.2%

Cyprus

1.3M 0.2%

Luxembourg

670000 0.1%

Montenegro

630000 0.1%

Malta

530000 0.1%

Iceland

390000 0.1%

Andorra

81000 0.0%

Monaco

39000 0.0%

San Marino

34000 0.0%

Vatican

500 0.0%

Why These Countries?

✓ Geographic Definition

All countries geographically located in Europe, including both EU and non-EU nations

✓ Comprehensive Coverage

From large nations like Germany and France to small states like Monaco and San Marino

✓ Data Availability

Countries with reliable data from Our World in Data and other authoritative sources

🧮 Calculation Methods

Population (Simple Sum)

The total population of Europe is calculated by summing all individual country populations.

Formula:

Europe Population = Σ(Population of each European country)

Current Data (2023):

Total Europe Population

735.2M

(735,176,260 people)

Countries Included

European nations

View breakdown by country ▼

Albania 2.8M

Andorra 0.1M

Armenia 2.9M

Austria 9.1M

Azerbaijan 10.3M

Belarus 9.1M

Belgium 11.7M

Bosnia & Herzegovina 3.2M

Bulgaria 6.8M

Croatia 3.9M

Cyprus 1.3M

Czechia 10.8M

Denmark 5.9M

Estonia 1.4M

Finland 5.6M

France 66.4M

Georgia 3.8M

Germany 84.5M

Greece 10.2M

Hungary 9.7M

Iceland 0.4M

Ireland 5.2M

Italy 59.5M

Kosovo 1.7M

Latvia 1.9M

Lithuania 2.9M

Luxembourg 0.7M

Malta 0.5M

Moldova 3.1M

Monaco 0.0M

Montenegro 0.6M

Netherlands 18.1M

North Macedonia 1.8M

Norway 5.5M

Poland 38.8M

Portugal 10.4M

Romania 19.1M

Russia 145.4M

San Marino 0.0M

Serbia 6.8M

Slovakia 5.5M

Slovenia 2.1M

Spain 47.9M

Sweden 10.6M

Switzerland 8.9M

Turkey 87.3M

Ukraine 37.7M

United Kingdom 68.7M

Vatican 0.0M

GDP per Capita PPP (Population-Weighted)

Purchasing power parity adjusted, weighted by population to reflect the true average European experience.

Formula (3 Steps):

Step 1: Calculate total GDP for each country

Country Total GDP = GDP per capita × Population

Step 2: Sum all European GDP

Europe Total GDP = Σ(Country Total GDP)

Step 3: Divide by total population

Europe GDP per capita = Europe Total GDP ÷ Europe Population

Why Population-Weighted?

✓

Accurate representation: Reflects that Germany's economy affects more people than Luxembourg's

✓

Fair comparison: Comparable to how USA, China, and India report national averages

✓

Realistic picture: Shows the economic reality for the average European resident

Current Data (2024):

Europe GDP per capita PPP

$54,907

From database

Comparison with USA

72.7%

of US GDP per capita ($75,492)

Detailed Calculation (All 50 Countries):

Step 1: Multiply each country's GDP by its population

1. Germany $62,830 × 85 Million = $5.31T

2. France $54,465 × 66 Million = $3.62T

3. United Kingdom $52,518 × 69 Million = $3.61T

4. Italy $53,115 × 59 Million = $3.16T

5. Spain $48,373 × 48 Million = $2.32T

6. Poland $45,113 × 39 Million = $1.75T

7. Netherlands $70,902 × 18 Million = $1.28T

8. Romania $40,608 × 19 Million = $776B

9. Belgium $63,083 × 12 Million = $739B

10. Switzerland $82,026 × 8.9 Million = $728B

11. Sweden $63,259 × 11 Million = $667B

12. Ireland $115,337 × 5.2 Million = $599B

13. Austria $63,314 × 9.1 Million = $578B

14. Czechia $47,962 × 11 Million = $518B

15. Norway $91,108 × 5.5 Million = $503B

16. Denmark $73,709 × 5.9 Million = $438B

17. Portugal $41,884 × 10 Million = $437B

18. Hungary $40,702 × 9.7 Million = $394B

19. Greece $37,753 × 10 Million = $387B

20. Finland $55,629 × 5.6 Million = $312B

21. Bulgaria $34,083 × 6.8 Million = $232B

22. Slovakia $40,347 × 5.5 Million = $223B

23. Croatia $42,631 × 3.9 Million = $166B

24. Lithuania $47,169 × 2.9 Million = $135B

25. Slovenia $48,496 × 2.1 Million = $103B

26. Luxembourg $128,182 × 670 Thousand = $85.3B

27. Latvia $38,936 × 1.9 Million = $73.3B

28. Cyprus $53,252 × 1.3 Million = $71.6B

29. Estonia $41,546 × 1.4 Million = $56.8B

30. Malta $60,470 × 530 Thousand = $32.2B

31. Iceland $65,645 × 390 Thousand = $25.4B

Step 2: Sum all weighted GDPs

Total weighted GDP (all 50 countries): $29.3T

Step 3: Divide by total Europe population

Europe Population: 735 Million

$29.3T ÷ 735 Million = $54,907

💡 This population-weighted approach ensures that populous countries like Germany have more influence than smaller countries like Malta, giving a true picture of the average European's GDP per capita.

View breakdown by country ▼

Luxembourg $128,182

Ireland $115,337

Norway $91,108

Switzerland $82,026

Denmark $73,709

Netherlands $70,902

Iceland $65,645

Austria $63,314

Sweden $63,259

Belgium $63,083

Germany $62,830

Malta $60,470

Finland $55,629

France $54,465

Cyprus $53,252

Italy $53,115

United Kingdom $52,518

Slovenia $48,496

Spain $48,373

Czechia $47,962

Lithuania $47,169

Poland $45,113

Croatia $42,631

Portugal $41,884

Estonia $41,546

Hungary $40,702

Romania $40,608

Slovakia $40,347

Latvia $38,936

Greece $37,753

Bulgaria $34,083

Other Metrics

Development indicators like child mortality and electricity access use population-weighted averages.

Standard Formula:

Europe Average = Σ(Country Value × Country Population) ÷ Europe Total Population

This ensures larger countries have proportionally more influence on the aggregate, reflecting the experience of the average European.

Child Mortality Rate

Europe (2023)

0.38%

Deaths per 100 live births (under age 5), population-weighted average across European countries

Electricity Access

Europe (2023)

100.0%

Percentage of population with access to electricity, population-weighted average

📚 Data Sources

Our World in Data

Primary source for most metrics. A scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems.

Visit Our World in Data

Quality Standards

✓ Data from peer-reviewed sources
✓ Regularly updated with latest figures
✓ Transparent methodology and sources
✓ Consistent definitions across countries

🔍 Transparency & Open Source

This project is fully open source. You can review our code, data processing methods, and contribute improvements on GitHub.

View on GitHub Back to Home