Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Dec 1995

Vol. 459 No. 3

Written Answers. - Economic Growth.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

57 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Taoiseach the current total combined GNP of the 15 member countries of the European Union; the total for five years ago; the total for ten years ago; and the way in which this compares to the GNP of the USA on the same dates. [17983/95]

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

58 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Taoiseach the compound percentage economic growth in the past ten years and the past five years for the Republic and each of the other current members of the EU. [17989/95]

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

59 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Taoiseach the per capita and the per household income in the Republic as a percentage of the EU average for the current year and each of the past ten years; and if he will give similar percentages in respect of the other 14 member states. [17993/95]

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 58 and 59 together.

(a) GDP for EU and USA GNP figures for the 15 members of the European Union are not published by EUROSTAT, the EU Statistical Office. The available figures relate to GDP and are given in Table 1:

TABLE 1

Gross Domestic Product at current prices

Country	Mrd ECU
1985	1990	1994
EUR15	3,648.2	5,194.6	6,187.3
USA (GDP)	5,263.6	4,311.6	5,664.8

Mrd = '000 million.

Sources: (1) Eurostat, National Accounts ESA 1970-1993.

(2) Eurostat, Statistics in Focus — Economy and Finance, 7/1995.

(b) Per Capita Income

The available information relates to GDPper capita and is given in Table 2. The figures given are expressed in purchasing power standards in order to take account of different price levels in the member states. These are the figures used to assess member states' eligibility for EU structural funds.

Figures for the per household income of other EU member states are not available.

TABLE 2

Gross Domestic Productper capita in PPS (Purchasing Power Standards)

County	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
Ireland	61	63	64	64	71	71	74	78	81	83
Belgium	105	103	103	102	105	103	107	110	113	112
Denmark	113	112	111	108	108	104	108	106	112	114
Germany	120	119	119	117	117	116	106	108	108	108
Greece	54	54	52	54	52	57	59	61	63	62
Spain	66	68	71	71	72	74	79	77	78	77
France	112	112	111	112	113	110	113	112	110	110
Italy	99	99	99	100	99	101	105	105	102	102
Luxembourg	123	124	120	122	128	147	153	156	160	158
Netherlands	108	107	104	102	102	101	102	102	103	102
Austria	116	116	115	114	114	113	114	109	112	112
Portugal	48	52	53	55	54	59	64	66	69	68
Finland	111	109	108	110	112	110	102	87	91	92
Sweden	121	122	120	116	114	115	111	100	98	98
UK	101	99	100	100	100	99	97	98	100	101
EUR15	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Sources: Eurostat — Statistics in Focus — Economy and Finance, 7/1995.

EUR15 = 100.

(c) Economic Growth

Table 3 shows the percentage growth in GDP at constant prices for the ten year period 1984-1994 and the five year period 1989-1994.

TABLE 3

Compound percentage economic growth

Country	1984-1994	1989-1994
	%	%
Ireland	48	24
Belgium	22	8
Denmark	21	10
Germany	23	8
Greece	17	3
Spain	33	8
France	23	6
Italy	22	5
Luxembourg	57	22
Netherlands	27	11
Austria	28	12
Portugal	32	7
Finland	12	-8
Sweden	11	-2
UK	26	4
EUR15	26	7

Sources: (1) Eurostat — Statistics in Focus — Economy and Finance 7/1995.

(2) National Income and Expenditure Report 1994 (Ireland).