Europe against the United States and China.And against itself.
Stories built on open data about where the European Union falls behind, where it has chosen a different path and how much its 27 countries differ. Each theme is told through three lenses.
Themes
- EnergyThe EU uses less than half as much energy per person as the US, and China has now overtaken it. Its electricity relies far less on fossil fuels, but renewables cover only a quarter of all its energy, and industry pays considerably more for power than before the 2022 crisis.
- Housing and the cost of livingHousing has risen less in the euro area than in the US, and so have rents. Almost seven in ten Europeans live in a home they own, but those renting at market prices bear far higher costs, and the gaps between countries in cost and space are huge.
- Money and paymentsThe euro area holds more cash relative to its economy than the US and China, but uses it less and less to pay. Cards are filling the gap, largely through non-European networks. The digital euro is the EU's bet to keep public money present in electronic payments.
- Productivity and growthThe EU weighs as much in the world economy as the United States, but it produces less per hour and much less per person. The question is how much of that gap is lagging behind and how much is choice.
Notes
Short pieces on a specific figure, with one or two charts.
- US public debt exceeds 120% of GDP; the EU's, 80%In 2001, the EU owed more than the US. Today the US owes 122.3% of its GDP and the EU 81.6%. Within the EU, 12 of the 27 countries exceed the 60% set in the Treaty.
- The Draghi report, two years on: what it asked for, what has been done and what the data say todayIn 2024 Mario Draghi warned that Europe faced an existential challenge: it grows less, innovates less, pays more for energy and relies on others for its security. Two years on, defence spending has risen sharply, but investment and energy remain far from what he asked for.
- One in six new cars in the EU is now electric, but the pace depends on the countryIn 2025, 17.3% of new cars in the EU were battery electric, up from 1.9% in 2019. In Denmark, 67.8%; in Spain, 8.7%; in Croatia, 1.9%.
Three lenses
Each lens runs through every theme. Pick one and follow it from start to finish.
- Between two giantsThe EU against the US and ChinaHow the European Union compares with the United States and China on each theme.
- Is Europe losing, or choosing?What the European model gains and what it gives upWhere Europe falls behind and where it has chosen a different path, and what that costs.
- Europe from withinThe differences among the 27The differences between the 27 countries, and their regions, hidden behind the European average.
About this project
Europe in data uses open data to show how the European Union compares with the United States and China, and how its countries differ from one another.
Every chart links to its original source, explains its limits and lets you download the data. The main sources are Eurostat and the OECD, with the World Bank, the ILO, Epoch AI and V-Dem where needed.