Consumption by households in Malta was 22 per cent below the EU average in 2017, with 10 member states reporting rates above the average.

Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) is a measure of material welfare of households. Across the Member States in 2017, AIC per capita expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) varied from 54% of the European Union (EU) average in Bulgaria to 132% in Luxembourg.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, reported on Friday that the second highest level in the EU was recorded in Germany (22% above).

Luxembourg and Germany were followed by Austria, Denmark and the United Kingdom, which recorded levels around 15% and 20% above the EU average, and Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and France with levels around 10% above the EU average.

AIC per capita for 13 member states lay between the EU average and 30% below. In Italy, Ireland and Cyprus, the levels were less than 10% below the EU average, while Spain, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Portugal were between 10% and 20% below. Malta, Slovenia, Greece, Poland, Slovakia and Estonia were between 20% and 30% below the average.

Five member states recorded AIC per capita more than 30% below the EU average: Latvia, Romania, Croatia and Hungary were between 30% and 40% below, while Bulgaria had AIC per capita more than 40% below the EU average.

Over the last three years, AIC per capita relative to the EU average remained relatively stable in a majority of Member States. However, clear increases were registered in Romania (68% of the EU average in 2017 compared with 58% in 2015), Lithuania (88% vs. 83%) and Czech Republic (82% vs. 78%).

In contrast, the most noticeable decreases were recorded in Luxembourg (132% in 2017 vs. 140% in 2015), Austria (117% vs. 121%), the Netherlands (111% vs. 115%) and Sweden (109% vs. 113%).

In 2017, GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power ranged between 49% of the EU average in Bulgaria and 253% in Luxembourg.

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