Inflation Down By 0.1% In Europe

Consumer inflation fell in both areas of the EU in November according to a statistical bulletin from Eurostat. Inflation in the euro area fell by 0.1% from 0.4% in October to 0.3% in November 2014. In the EU28 similarly the rate of inflation fell from 0.5% in October to 0.4% in November.

There were negative annual rates in Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Poland with Bulgaria showing a rate of -1.9%. The highest rates were in Romania and Austria with annual rates of 1.5% and Finland on 1.1%.

Unemployment Up In Euro Area

Unemployment in the euro area rose to 12.2% in April 2013 a small increase on the 12.1% in March. The EU27 unemployment rate remained unchanged at 11%. The annual comparison shows a marked increase in unemployment in Europe since last year. In the euro area the unemployment rate was 11.2% and the EU27 had an unemployment rate of 10.3%.

The numbers of unemployed people in Europe were estimated to have been 26.588m. The euro area accounted for 19.375m of them. The lowest rates of unemployment were reported in Austria and Germany with 4.9% and 5.4% respectively. The highest rates were reported in Greece and Spain with 27% and 26.8% respectively.

These countries also reported the lowest and the highest rates for youth unemployment. Austria had 8% and Germany 7.5% youth unemployment and Greece had 62.5% and Spain 56.4% youth unemployment.

Non-Food Sector Takes Retail Volumes Down

The volume of retail trade in Europe fell in March 2013 compared with February 2013 by 0.1% in the euro area and 0.2% in the EU27. The figures from Eurostat also include the annual comparison and between March 2012 and March 2013 the index fell by 2.4% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU27.

During March the food, drinks and tobacco sector increased by 0.8% in the euro area and by 1% in the EU27 but the non-food sector fell by 0.5% and 0.6% respectively. Total retail trade fell in nine countries and rose in eleven. Over the year food, drinks and tobacco fell by 1.2% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27 but the non-food sector fell even more by 3.3% and 2% respectively. Retail trade fell in fourteen countries and rose in seven. The biggest fall in retail trade was in Spain with -10.5%.

Decline In Economic Sentiment In Euro Area

The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) produced by the Economic and Financial Affairs department of the European Commission remained unchanged in the EU27 but declined by 0.6% in the euro area to 89.9. There was falling confidence in industry, services and among consumers but increasing confidence in retail trade and construction.

Sentiment improved in the UK by 1.9 points, Spain (+1) and Italy (+0.9) but got worse in France and Germany by -1.5 and -1.4 points respectively. Germany is the only country which is above its long-term average.

Consumer confidence declined slightly by 0.3 points in the EU27 and 0.5 points in the euro area. The decline is based on falling confidence and expectations about the future general economic situation and increased fears of unemployment. Consumers' expectations about their own financial situation and savings have improved.

Retail Trade Down Across Europe

In April compared with March 2012 retail trade fell across Europe by 1% in the euro area and by 1.1% in the EU27. When compared with April 2011 retail trade fell by 2.5% in the euro area and by 1.9% in the EU27. The food sector fell by 2.3% in the euro area and by 2.4% in the EU27 and the non-food sector fell by 2.1% and 0.7% respectively. The volume of retail trade fell in twelve of the Member States and grew in nine. The largest decreases were in Spain (-9.6%), Portugal (-9.3%) and Malta (-4.6%) and the greatest increases were in Estonia (8.5%), Latvia (7.8%) and Romania 3.4%).

European Unemployment Reaches 10.9%

The EU27 unemployment rate reached 10.2% in March 2012, compared with 9.4% Last March. The euro area unemployment rate was 10.9% compared with 10.8% in February and 9.9% last March. The figures mean that there were 24.772m unemployed people in the EU in March 2012, 17.365m of which were in the euro area, an increase of 193,000 and 169,000 respectively compared with February and 2.123m and 1.732m respectively on March 2011. The unemployment rate ranged from 4% in Austria to 24.1% in Spain. The median was Italy at 9.8%. Youth unemployment in Europe was at 3.345m or 22.1% in the euro area and 5.516m or 22.6% in the EU27 in March 2012.

Retail Sales Down 0.4% In Euro Area

Euro area retail trade fell by 0.4% in terms of volume in December 2011 compared with November while it grew by 0.3% in the EU27 over the same period. Food, drinks and tobacco fell by 0.2% in the euro area and grew by 0.3% in the EU27. Non-food sector categories grew by 0.3% in the EU27 but fell by 0.1% in the euro area.

Total retail trade fell in eleven states and grew in eight states remaining stable in Ireland and Sweden. The highest increases were in Portugal (2.2%), Belgium (1.5%) and Poland (0.7%) and the biggest decreases were in Malta and Slovenia (both -3.1%) and Latvia (-2%).

The annual comparison shows that in December 2011 compared with December 2010 the food, drinks and tobacco sector fell by 1.3% in the euro area and 0.6% in the EU27 and the non-food sector decreased by 1.5% in the euro area but grew by 0.8% in the EU27. The total retail sales index for the EU27 shows growth of 0.1% but in the euro area a fall of 1.6%.

Trade fell in ten states but rose in eleven. The largest increases were in Lithuania (13%), Latvia (7.1%) and the UK (6.3%). The biggest falls in trade were recorded in Portugal (-8.8%), Spain (-5.3%) and Slovakia (-3.3%) (Eurostat).

September Retail Trade Down In Europe

The volume of retail trade in Europe fell in both the euro zone and the EU in general in September when compared with August 2011. The year on year retail sales index also fell in both areas.

Volume fell by 0.7% in the euro area and 0.3% in the EU27 during the month between August and September. The non-food sector fell by 0.8% in the euro area and 0.9% in the EU while food, drink and tobacco remained unchanged in the euro area and rose by 0.1% in the EU27. The total retail trade index fell in 11 of the member states and rose in 8. The highest decreases were in Portugal (-3.7%), Slovenia (-2.1%) and Spain (-1.7%) and the largest increases were in Poland (2.4%), UK (1%) and Latvia (0.9%).

The index fell by 1.5% in the euro area and 0.8% in the EU27 when comparing 2010 and 2011. The food category fell by 0.5% in the euro area and 0.4% in the EU as a whole. The non-food sector fell by 1.9% and 0.8% respectively. The highest decreases were in Malta (-7.5%), Portugal (-6.2%) and Spain (-5.8%). The highest increases were in Lithuania (10.6%), Luxembourg (8.3%) and Latvia (8.1%).

Ageing In The European Union

Ageing in the context of EU statistics is the increase over time of the percentage share of the over 65 age group in the total population of a given area. It is increasing in the EU because of two factors. The first is that the number of people over 65 is growing and the second is because the number of children in age group 0-14 year is getting smaller. This is a general picture though and there are considerable variations in the types of area and NUTS3 areas.

The release from Eurostat tells us that rural areas are losing their young people faster than urban areas. It presents the populaton changes in 1158 NUTS3 areas of 26 member states (not UK) between 2001-2006. It takes the level of rurality of NUTS3 into account for three age groups - 0-14, 15-64, 65 and over. The changes mean variations in the population's composition.

The total population of EU27 has increased by 1.9% or 8,217,047 people with an increase of 9,708,045 people in the EU15 offset by a decrease in the new member states of 1,490,998 people or -1.4%. The 0-14 age group has decreased by 4.4%, the 15-64 age group increased by 1.9% and the over 65s by 8.9% or 5,961,157 people. A contrast can be seen between the 'old' and 'new' member states. In the new member states the 0-14 age group shrank by 14% and the over 65s increased by 5.3%. The over 65s in the EU15 increeased by 9.8%.

The types of area (TOA) analysis also show remarkable results. Ageing continues at a more pronounced rate in predominantly urban areas (46%), except in Spain and remained the same in Ireland and Sweden. Only 16.5% of the increase can be attributed to rural areas in EU27 where 21.4% of the population live. The combined effect of the two factors influencing population change mean that Germany, Greece and Latvia show a rapidly ageing population while France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, where over 20% of the population in rural areas is over 65, show smaller and even negative growth. In Bulgaria there has been a 5% population loss overall with a 10% loss in predominantly rural areas. It is also significant that in there areas the percentage of children fell by up to 17%. Also in Bulgaria where the number of over 65s fell by 4% they were not replaced by numbers from the working population.

The highest population gains at NUTS3 level were in Spain and Ireland with Guadalajara in Spain, an intermediate area, gaining 24.5% in population. At the other extreme Bulgaria and Germany decreased the most in population. The population of Kardzhali in Bulgaria, a predominantly rural area, decreased by 21%. The German areas were exclusively in the former East Germany. Barnim in Germany, an intermediate area, saw the highest increase in people aged 65 and over with an increase of 33.3% with Neubrandenburg on 33.2% and Potsdam on 32.9%. Vratsa, a predominantly rural area in Bulgaria, saw an decrease of 15.9% in the same age group. The highest increase in the over 65 age group was in Germany and the growth was not limited to the east but covered large areas of the west as well.

There were contrasts between east and west Germany and between north and south Italy. Only Berlin in eastern Germany grew in population size. Areas of northern Italy grew while the population of the south of Italy decreased.

Retail Volumes Fall By 1.2% In Europe

The volume of retail trade in both the euro area and the EU27 decreased by 1.2% in April 2010 compared with March 2010. The retail sales index for April 2010 compared with April 2009 was 1.5% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU27.

The food sector in the euro area fell by 1.1% and 1.4% in the EU27 over the month to April 2010 and the non-food sector by 1.1% and 1.2% respectively. Total retail trade fell in 14 countries and rose in 5 given the data available. The biggest falls were in Poland -8.7%, Denmark -8.6%, Slovakia -3.6% and Spain -2.1%. The highest risers were Belgium with 1.8% and Germany with 1%.

Over the last year from April 2009 to April 2010 the food sector fell by 1.8% in the euro area and 2.7% in the EU27 and non-food fell by 1.1% in the euro area but rose slightly by 0.1% in the EU27. Given the national data available, among the member states, the index fell in 15 countries and rose in 4. Bulgaria and Lithuania both fell 11.7%, Denmark -8.3% and Latvia fell 7.7%. Malta's index rose by 8.7% and Belgium's by 0.7%. Statistics from Eurostat.