Luxembourg maintained its position as the wealthiest country in the European Union in 2010, with the highest GDP per capita, Bulgaria was at the bottom of the list, while Croatia almost reached Poland's level, according to preliminary estimates for last year released on Tuesday by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office.
The figures for GDP per capita, expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS), cover the 27 EU Member States, three EFTA countries, four candidate countries and three Western Balkan countries.
"Based on first preliminary estimates for 2010, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita expressed in Purchasing Power Standards2 (PPS) varied from 43% to 283% of the EU27 average across the Member States."
Luxembourg tops the list with GDP per capita nearly three times that of the EU27 average, that is 283% of the said average.
It is followed by the Netherlands with GDP per capita about one third above the average.
Denmark, Ireland, Austria and Sweden were all around 25% above the average. Germany led a group including Belgium, Finland and the United Kingdom with GDP per capita between 10% and 20% above the EU27 average.
Eurostat reports that "in Spain, Italy and Cyprus, GDP per capita was around the EU27 average, while in France it was around 5% above the average."
"Greece, Slovenia, Malta, Portugal and the Czech Republic were between 10% and 20% lower than the EU27 average, while Slovakia was around 25% below. Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia were between 35% and 50% lower, while Romania and Bulgaria were around 55% below the EU27 average."
Croatia's GDP per capita was 39% lower than the EU average, while Poland's GDP per capita was 38% below the EU average.
Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania were in a group with GDP per capita of between 60% and 70% below the EU27 average.
Eurostat will publish revised estimates in December 2011.
