16 - 22 August 2001

GDP up 5% in candidate countries

Growth surged last year in the 13 countries seeking membership in the European Union, increasing by a combined rate of five per cent, the EU’s statistical office reported earlier this week.
Eurostat said the jump in gross domestic product in 2000 ranged between 1.6 per cent for Romania and 7.2 per cent in Turkey. In 1999, five of the 13 candidate countries experienced negative growth, though in 2000 they all were positive.
The combined five per cent growth figure for the candidate countries compares with 3.3 per cent for the 15 EU countries.
In terms of purchasing power, per capita GDP (news – web sites) was highest in Cyprus at 82 per cent of the EU average, and Slovenia, at 71 per cent. By comparison, Greek GDP was 68 per cent of the EU average, Portugal 74 per cent and Spain 81 per cent.
The candidate countries reported the following GDP growth rates in 1999 and 2000. See table on right.

Country GDP 1999 GDP 2000
Bulgaria 2.4 per cent 5.8 per cent
Cyprus 4.5 per cent 4.8 per cent
Czech Republic -0.8 per cent 3.1 per cent
Estonia -1.1 per cent 6.4 per cent
Hungary 4.2 per cent 5.2 per cent
Latvia 1.1 per cent 6.6 per cent
Lithuania 3.9 per cent 3.3 per cent
Malta 4.0 per cent 4.7 per cent
Poland 4.1 per cent 4.0 per cent
Romania -2.3 per cent 1.6 per cent
Slovakia 1.9 per cent 2.2 per cent
Slovenia 5.2 per cent 4.6 per cent
Turkey -4.7 per cent 7.2 per cent.