Skopje, 15 December 2023 (MIA) – In 2022, the levels of actual individual consumption (AIC) in the EU showed significant differences. Used as a measure of the material welfare of households, AIC per capita expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS) varied from 69% to 138% of the EU average across EU countries, said Eurostat in an article published Thursday.

According to the information published by Eurostat, North Macedonia’s AIC per capita is 50% below the EU average. The only countries with a lower AIC per capita in the region are Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 59% below the average. Serbia’s AIC per capita is 47% below the average, and Montenegro has an AIC per capita which is 37% lower than the EU average.

As in previous years, Luxembourg recorded the highest level of AIC per capita in the EU at 38% above the EU average, followed by Austria and Germany (both 18% above), the Netherlands (16% above) and Belgium (15% above). In 2022, nine EU countries recorded an AIC per capita above the EU average.

The lowest levels of AIC per capita were registered in Bulgaria (31% below the EU average), Hungary (29% below), Croatia and Latvia (both 24% below) and Slovakia (23% below).

Over the last three years, AIC per capita relative to the EU average has changed in the majority of EU countries. Between 2020 and 2022, AIC levels increased in 18 EU countries, most notably in Bulgaria (69% of the EU average in 2022 compared with 60% in 2020), Croatia (76% vs 69%), Romania (86% vs 81%), and Ireland (94% vs 89%).

Conversely, AIC levels decreased in 7 EU countries. The biggest decreases were recorded in Denmark (110% in 2022 vs 121% in 2020), Germany (118% vs 124%) and Finland (109% vs 114%).

Photo: MIA Archive/Eurostat