The table illustrates data regarding employment rates, the proportion of the population with higher education, and average annual income across eight European nations in 2015.
Overall, Norway stands out as the most prosperous country, leading in both employment and education statistics, whereas Bulgaria and Greece occupy the lower end of the spectrum, particularly regarding average annual income. There is a noticeable positive correlation between higher education levels and average income, with countries like Norway, the UK, and Luxembourg reporting the highest figures for both.
Regarding employment, Norway recorded the highest rate at 74.8%, followed closely by the UK at 72.7% and Austria at 71.1%. Conversely, Greece reported the lowest employment rate at 50.8%, significantly trailing behind the other nations. In terms of education, Norway and the UK again led with 43.2% and 41.6% of 25-64 year olds holding university degrees, respectively. Portugal had the lowest proportion of educated citizens at 22.9%.
Income disparities are stark; Norway’s average income of €41,483 is more than twelve times that of Bulgaria, which recorded the lowest income at €3,332. Luxembourg also showed strong economic performance with an average income of €34,320, despite having a lower employment rate than Austria or the UK.