Consumption per capita in purchasing power standards in the EU - 2024

Household material welfare varies widely in the EU

In 2024, the levels of actual individual consumption (AIC) across EU countries varied between 72% and 146% of the EU average, which is set at 100. AIC per capita is expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS) and is used as a measure of material welfare of households. 

Last year, 10 countries recorded an AIC per capita equal to or above the EU average. Luxembourg led with a level at 46% above the EU average, followed by the Netherlands (20% above) and Germany (19% above).

The lowest levels of AIC per capita were registered in Latvia (28% below the EU average), and Bulgaria and Hungary (both 27% below).

Source dataset: prc_ppp_ind_1

Greater differences in GDP per capita than in actual individual consumption

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in PPS, a measure of economic activity, also showed substantial differences among EU countries, with 10 recording GDP per capita above the EU average. 

The highest GDP per capita was recorded in Luxembourg (245% of the EU average), Ireland (221%) and the Netherlands (134%). At the other end of the range, the lowest GDP per capita was recorded in Bulgaria (66% of the EU average), Latvia (68%) and Greece (69%).

Source dataset: prc_ppp_ind_1

For more information

• Statistics Explained article on consumption and GDP per capita and price level indices
• Thematic section on purchasing power parities
• Database on purchasing power parities
• Metadata on purchasing power parities
• Statistics4beginners on GDP

Methodological notes

• Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Portugal and Romania: provisional data for GDP and the main expenditure components.
• Starting with this publication, PPP data will be released in new datasets according to the most recent Classification of individual consumption according to purpose (COICOP). At the same time, the existing datasets will remain in dissemination.
• For 2022, 2023, and 2024, the breakdown used to calculate household final consumption, which is part of the AIC, is based on the UN COICOP 2018 classificationthat was introduced in the  PPP basic headings.
• The PPP indicators for all analytical categories for 1995–2021, calculated using the previous version of  COICOP, are provided in the former dataset. 
• While GDP is mainly an indicator of the level of economic activity, actual individual consumption is an alternative indicator better adapted to describe the material welfare of households.
• Actual individual consumption includes all goods and services that households use, irrespective of whether they were purchased and paid for by households directly, by the government, or by nonprofit organisations. 
• The estimates presented in this news article are based on GDP and main expenditure components and population data, extracted from nama_10_gdpand nama_10_pe on 3 December 2025, and on the most recent purchasing power parities available.

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