2012 estimates show Luxembourg continues to record highest GDP per capita

GDP per capita in purchasing power standards (PPS) varied between member states from 47 percent to 271 percent of the EU average, according to preliminary 2012 estimates.

In a trend that has not changed compared with previous years, the highest GDP per capita in the EU27 level was recorded in Luxembourg, where it was more than two and a half times higher than the average for the EU27. Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden were about 30% above the average.

While GDP per capita is often used as an indicator of well-being in a country, it is not the only indicator in this regard. An alternative measure of well-being, better adapted to reflect the situation of households, is the actual individual consumption (ICE) per capita. In 2012, the CIE per capita in PPS ranged from 48% of the EU average in Romania and 141% in Luxembourg.

Translated from an article by Lionel Bovy