Maps

Mapped: Average Wages Across Europe

Published

1 month ago

April 4, 2024

Pallavi Rao

Graphics/Design:

Bhabna Banerjee

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Mapped: Average Wages Across Europe

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on Apple or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Much and more has been written about the best countries in Europe to visit, sight-see at, or vacation in.

But the economic powerhouse of a continent also has eight of the top 20 largest economies, the biggest single-market area, and some of the richest countries in the world.

How does all of that translate into how much people earn across the continent?

We visualize the average hourly salary (in euros), across Europe in a heatmap. The bluer the hue, the higher the hourly salary. Data for this visualization comes from Eurostat and is current up to 2023.

Ranked: European Countries By Average Hourly Salaries

Luxembourg, Europe’s financial services capital, has the highest average salary (€47/hour) across the continent. The country also has the highest per capita GDP in the world.

Scandinavia’s Denmark and Norway also pay higher (€42/hour) though Sweden (€26/hour) falls more in the middle of the pack.

Rank	Country	Average Salary (€/hour)
1	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	€47.2
2	🇩🇰 Denmark	€42.0
3	🇳🇴 Norway	€41.7
4	🇮🇸 Iceland	€39.5
5	🇧🇪 Belgium	€36.3
6	🇮🇪 Ireland	€33.3
7	🇳🇱 Netherlands	€33.0
8	🇩🇪 Germany	€31.6
9	🇫🇮 Finland	€30.5
10	🇦🇹 Austria	€30.0
11	🇫🇷 France	€28.7
12	🇸🇪 Sweden	€26.3
13	🇸🇮 Slovenia	€21.9
14	🇮🇹 Italy	€21.5
15	🇪🇸 Spain	€18.2
16	🇨🇾 Cyprus	€16.3
17	🇱🇹 Lithuania	€14.0
18	🇲🇹 Malta	€14.0
19	🇵🇹 Portugal	€13.7
20	🇨🇿 Czechia	€13.6
21	🇪🇪 Estonia	€13.6
22	🇭🇷 Croatia	€12.7
23	🇬🇷 Greece	€12.6
24	🇸🇰 Slovakia	€12.5
25	🇵🇱 Poland	€11.9
26	🇭🇺 Hungary	€11.0
27	🇱🇻 Latvia	€10.7
28	🇷🇴 Romania	€10.4
29	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	€8.1
N/A	🇪🇺 EU	€24.0

Note: The source has not provided data for Russia, the UK, Switzerland, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, and Vatican City.

Bulgaria records the lowest average salary in this dataset at €8/hour.

The map indicates Northern and Western Europe have higher average wages than Southern and Eastern Europe, reflecting the differences in economic development and wealth.

However, this split has not always been present. In fact, the reverse was true for many centuries. Mediterranean-based civilizations used to be some of the wealthiest in the world, benefiting greatly from the sea’s access across to Northern Africa and the Levant.

But by the 16th and 17th centuries, Atlantic Ocean trade opened up access to far bigger markets, driving up economic growth and wealth accumulation for the western half of Europe.

Naturally, the map of average salaries is also a reflection of the cost of living as well, influencing purchasing power, lifestyle choices, and overall economic conditions for individuals and families.

Related Topics:europe eu germany netherlands norway italy spain luxembourg Belgium denmark iceland Average Salaries

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Maps

Mapped: The 10 U.S. States With the Lowest Real GDP Growth

In this graphic, we show where real GDP lagged the most across America in 2023 as high interest rates weighed on state economies.

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

Niccolo Conte

The Top 10 U.S. States, by Lowest Real GDP Growth

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

While the U.S. economy defied expectations in 2023, posting 2.5% in real GDP growth, several states lagged behind.

Last year, oil-producing states led the pack in terms of real GDP growth across America, while the lowest growth was seen in states that were more sensitive to the impact of high interest rates, particularly due to slowdowns in the manufacturing and finance sectors.

This graphic shows the 10 states with the least robust real GDP growth in 2023, based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Weakest State Economies in 2023

Below, we show the states with the slowest economic activity in inflation-adjusted terms, using chained 2017 dollars:

Rank	State	Real GDP Growth 2023 YoY	Real GDP 2023
1	Delaware	-1.2%	$74B
2	Wisconsin	+0.2%	$337B
3	New York	+0.7%	$1.8T
4	Missississippi	+0.7%	$115B
5	Georgia	+0.8%	$661B
6	Minnesota	+1.2%	$384B
7	New Hampshire	+1.2%	$91B
8	Ohio	+1.2%	$698B
9	Iowa	+1.3%	$200B
10	Illinois	+1.3%	$876B
	U.S.	+2.5%	$22.4T

Delaware witnessed the slowest growth in the country, with real GDP growth of -1.2% over the year as a sluggish finance and insurance sector dampened the state’s economy.

Like Delaware, the Midwestern state of Wisconsin also experienced declines across the finance and insurance sector, in addition to steep drops in the agriculture and manufacturing industries.

America’s third-biggest economy, New York, grew just 0.7% in 2023, falling far below the U.S. average. High interest rates took a toll on key sectors, with notable slowdowns in the construction and manufacturing sectors. In addition, falling home prices and a weaker job market contributed to slower economic growth.

Meanwhile, Georgia experienced the fifth-lowest real GDP growth rate. In March 2024, Rivian paused plans to build a $5 billion EV factory in Georgia, which was set to be one of the biggest economic development initiatives in the state in history.

These delays are likely to exacerbate setbacks for the state, however, both Kia and Hyundai have made significant investments in the EV industry, which could help boost Georgia’s manufacturing sector looking ahead.