Archive:European social statistics abstract
This Statistics Explained article has been archived - for recent articles on social statistics see here.
This article is an introduction to the online version of the Eurostat publication 'European social statistics'.
The pocketbook 'European Social Statistics' (also downloadable as a pdf hereprovides a comparative overview of the available social statistics in Europe. The most recent data are presented showing the situation in the 27 Member States and at the European and Euro area levels (EU-27 and EA-17 aggregates) where relevant as well as in EFTA countries (including Iceland that is also a candidate country) and candidate countries when available (Montenegro, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey). The pocketbook, intended for both generalists and specialists, is divided into seven parts.
Each of the seven chapters focuses on an area of social conditions. Within each chapter, a range of policy-relevant indicators, as well as more descriptive data, are presented in tables and graphs and accompanied by a short commentary.
Chapter 1 presents the recent demographic trends in population growth, fertility, mortality and migration; the chapter also provides background characteristics on households’ composition; Chapter 2 covers health issues and presents indicators on healthy life expectancies, statistics on causes on death, healthcare, and health and safety at work.
Chapter 3 presents the most recent data on education and training (i.e. school enrolment, tertiary education, foreign language learning, lifelong learning and educational expenditure); Chapter 4 provides important indicators related to the labour market outcomes (i.e. employment, unemployment, vacant posts, wage levels, labour costs).
Chapter 5 covers indicators related to income, poverty and social exclusion, material deprivation and housing; Chapter 6 gives an overview on social protection statistics - social protection expenditure and social protection benefits. Finally, chapter 7 provides an overview of the most recent crime and criminal justice statistics.
European social statistics are also an integral part of the European Union strategy – the Europe 2020 strategy – to develop as a smarter, knowledge-based, greener economy, and deliver high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion.
The key objectives of the strategy are expressed in the form of five headline targets at the EU level, monitored by means of eight headline indicators. The progress achieved in implementing some of these targets (in the areas of employment, education and poverty/social exclusion) is measured with help of social statistics.
The publication also presents the latest results for ‘social’ headline indicators on the EU-27 aggregates, individual Member States and, where available, on the EFTA and the candidate countries.
The headline targets at the EU level:
- 75 % of the population aged 20-64 to be employed
- 3 % of the EU’s GDP to be invested in research and development (R&D)
- Climate change and energy target:
- To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 % compared with 1990
- To increase the share of renewable energy sources in final energy consumption to 20 %
- To improve energy efficiency by 20 %
- The share of early school leavers to be under 10 % and at least 40 % of those aged 30-34 to have completed tertiary or equivalent education
- Reduction of poverty by lifting at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty or social exclusion.
These headline targets have been translated into specific targets for each Member State. For detailed information at EU and national levels see the dedicated section Europe 2020 indicators here, and the Conclusions of the European Council (17 June 2010).
Data extraction period
January to March 2013. The most recent data is available here
Contact details
Eurostat
Bâtiment Joseph Bech
5, rue Alphonse Weicker
2721 Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG
E-mail: estat-user-support@ec.europa.eu