European Union

total : 4,236,351 sq km

total: 13,770 km
border countries: Albania 212 km; Andorra 118 km; Belarus 1,176 km; Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km; Holy See 3 km; Liechtenstein 34 km; North Macedonia 396 km; Moldova 683 km; Monaco 6 km; Montenegro 19 km; Norway 2,375 km; Russia 2,435 km; San Marino 37 km; Serbia 1,353 km; Switzerland 1,729 km; Turkey 415 km; United Kingdom 499 km; Ukraine 1,324 km

highest point: Mont Blanc, France 4,810 m
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m

total: 451,815,312 (2024 est.)
male: 220,631,332
female: 231,183,980

0-14 years: 14.5% (male 33,606,273/female 31,985,118)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 143,874,460/female 143,104,994)
65 years and over: 22% (2024 est.) (male 43,150,599/female 56,093,868)

total dependency ratio: 57.2 (2024)
youth dependency ratio: 22.8 (2024)
elderly dependency ratio: 34.5 (2024)
potential support ratio: 3 (2024)

total: 44 years (2020)
male: 42.6 years
female: 45.5 years

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

total population: 77.63 years (2021)
male: 72.98 years
female: 82.51 years

conventional long form: European Union
abbreviation: EU

name: Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg, Frankfurt (Germany)
geographic coordinates: (Brussels) 50 50 N, 4 20 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
time zone note: the 27 European Union member states are spread across three time zones

27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

13 overseas countries and territories: 1 with Denmark (Greenland), 6 with France (French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna), and 6 with the Netherlands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten); all are part of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA)

history: none; the EU legal order relies primarily on the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)
amendment process: EU treaties can be amended in several ways:

1) Ordinary Revision Procedure (for key amendments to the treaties); initiated by an EU member state, the European Parliament, or the European Commission; after the proposal is adopted by the European Council, a conference of national government representatives then reviews the proposal; passage requires ratification by all EU member states

2) Simplified Revision Procedure (for amendment of EU internal policies and actions); passage of a proposal requires unanimous European Council vote after European Council consultation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Central Bank (if the amendment concerns monetary matters) and requires ratification by all EU member states

3) Passerelle Clause; allows the alteration of a legislative procedure without a formal amendment of the treaties

4) Flexibility Clause; permits the EU to decide in subject areas where EU competences have not been explicitly granted in the treaties but are necessary to the attainment of treaty objectives

three EU institutions have functions that can be regarded as executive in nature:

European Council - composed of member-state heads of state or government, along with the president of the European Commission; meets at least four times a year to issue general policy guidance; the president of the European Council is appointed by leaders of the EU member states for a 2 1/2 year term, renewable once

president: António Costa (since 1 December 2024)

Council of the European Union - consists of member-state officials, ranging from working-level diplomats to cabinet ministers in specific policy fields such as foreign affairs, agriculture, or economy; has policymaking, coordinating, and legislative functions

president: the six-month presidency rotates among the member states 

European Commission - composed of 27 commissioners (one from each member state), including the president; the president assigns each commissioner one or more policy areas, called portfolios; the Commission has the sole right to initiate EU legislation, except for foreign and security/defense policy, and is responsible for monitoring the application of EU law, implementing/executing the EU budget, negotiating in certain policy areas, and ensuring the EU's external representation in some policy areas; the president is nominated for a 5-year term by the European Council and confirmed by the European Parliament; the European Parliament also confirms the entire Commission for a 5-year term

president: Ursula von der Leyen (since 1 December 2019)

highest court(s): Court of Justice of the European Union, which includes the Court of Justice (informally known as the European Court of Justice or ECJ, includes 11 advocates general) and the General Court (consists of 27 judges, one drawn from each member state; can include additional judges); both the ECJ and the General Court sit in chambers of 3 to 5 judges but may sit in a Grand Chamber of 15 judges in special cases
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the common consent of the member states to serve 6-year renewable terms

The Left or GUE/NGL 
European Conservatives and Reformists or ECR 
Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA 
European People's Party or EPP 
Europe of Sovereign Nations or ESN 
Patriots for Europe or PfE 
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D 
Renew Europe or Renew (formerly Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE)

chief of mission: Ambassador Jovita NELIUPŠIENĖ, Head of Delegation (since 27 February 2024)
chancery: 2175 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500
FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
email address and website:
delegation-usa-info@eeas.europa.eu

Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America | EEAS (europa.eu)

chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew PUZDER (since 11 September 2025)
embassy: Zinnerstraat - 13 - Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [32] (2) 811-4100
email address and website:
https://useu.usmission.gov/

description: a blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in the center; blue stands for the sky of the Western world, and the stars for unity, solidarity, and harmony

meaning: the number of stars is fixed and does not correspond to the number of member states

title: "European Anthem" (Ode to Joy)
lyrics/music: no lyrics/Ludwig VAN BEETHOVEN, arranged by Herbert VON KARAJAN
history: adopted 1985; the anthem is meant to represent all of Europe rather than just the organization, conveying the ideals of peace, freedom, and unity

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $24.441 trillion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $24.17 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $24.036 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024: 1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 0.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3.5% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024: $54,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $53,800 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $53,700 (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.4% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 6.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 8.8% (2022 est.)

agriculture: 1.6% (2024 est.)
industry: 22.1% (2024 est.)
services: 66.1% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024: 6% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 6.1% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 6.2% (2022 est.)

total: 15.9% (2024 est.)
male: 16% (2024 est.)
female: 16% (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015: 31 (2015 est.)

Remittances 2024: 0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Public debt 2013: 85.5% of GDP (2013)

Exports 2024: $9.783 trillion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $9.689 trillion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $9.425 trillion (2022 est.)

Imports 2024: $8.953 trillion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $8.978 trillion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $9.072 trillion (2022 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity: 1.142 billion kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 2.511 trillion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 407.824 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 405.154 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 169.694 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 100 (2025)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 1 (2025)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 97.63GW (2025 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 75 (2025)

production: 304.827 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 398.817 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 32.326 million metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 127.304 million metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 84.193 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production: 748,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 11.022 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

production: 40.239 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 335.326 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
exports: 100.238 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 396.993 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 114.309 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 155,004,603 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions: 552,315,605 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 124 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 90% (2023 est.)

total: 172.888 million (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (2022 est.)

total: 4,894,173 km (2019)

the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) provides the civilian, military, and political structures for EU crisis management and security issues; the highest bodies are:

the Political and Security Committee (PSC), which meets at the ambassadorial level as a preparatory body for the Council of the EU; it assists with defining policies and preparing a crisis response

the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is the EU's highest military body; it is composed of the chiefs of defense (CHODs) of the Member States, who are regularly represented by their permanent Military Representatives; the EUMC provides the PSC with advice and recommendations on all military matters within the EU

the Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM) provides advice and recommendations to the PSC in parallel with the EUMC on civilian aspects of crisis management

the Politico-Military Group (PMG) provides advice and recommendations to the PSC on political aspects of EU military and civil-military issues, including concepts, capabilities and operations and missions, and monitors implementation

other bodies set up under the CSDP include the Security and Defense Policy Directorate (SECDEFPOL), the Integrated approach for Security and Peace Directorate (ISP), the EU Military Staff (EUMS), the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC), the Civilian Operations Headquarters (CivOpsHQ), the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), the European Defense Agency (EDA), the European Security and Defense College (ESDC), the EU Institute for Security Studies, the EU Satellite Center, the Peace, Partnerships and Crisis Management Directorate (PCM) (2025)

Military Expenditures 2024: 1.9% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

the EU partners with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); NATO is an alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe; its role is to safeguard the security of its member countries by political and military means; NATO conducts crisis management and peacekeeping missions; member countries that participate in the military aspect of the Alliance contribute forces and equipment, which remain under national command and control until a time when they are required by NATO for a specific purpose (i.e., conflict or crisis, peacekeeping); NATO, however, does possess some common capabilities owned and operated by the Alliance, such as some early warning radar aircraft; relations between NATO and the EU were institutionalized in the early 2000s, building on steps taken during the 1990s to promote greater European responsibility in defense matters; cooperation and coordination covers a broad array of issues, including crisis management, defense and political consultations, civil preparedness, capacity building, military capabilities, maritime security, planning, cyber defense, countering hybrid threats, information sharing, logistics, defense industry, counterterrorism, etc.; since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU and NATO have intensified their work and cooperation; NATO and the EU have 23 member countries in common

there are no permanent standing EU forces, but Europe has a variety of multinational military organizations that may be deployed through the EU, in a NATO environment, upon the mandate of the participating countries, or upon the mandate of other international organizations, such as the UN or OSCE including: 

the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC) was declared operational in May 2025; the RDC's purpose is to enable the EU to respond to different crisis scenarios by providing a flexible and scalable military instrument of up to 5,000 troops that can be deployed in a swift manner; missions could include capacity building, conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, rescue and evacuation, or stabilization; the use of the RDC is subject to a unanimous decision by the EU Member States

EU Battlegroups (BGs) are rapid reaction multinational army units that form a key part of the EU's capacity to respond to crises and conflicts; their deployment is subject to a unanimous decision by the European Council; BGs typically consists of 1,500-2,000 troops organized around an infantry battalion depending on the mission; the troops and equipment are drawn from EU member states and under the direction of a lead nation; two BGs are always on standby for a period of six months; the BGs were declared operational in 2007 but have never been used operationally due to political and financial obstacles

the European Corps (Eurocorps) is an independent multinational land force corps headquarters composed of personnel from six framework nations and five associated nations; the corps has no standing operational units; during a crisis, units would be drawn from participating states, and the corps would be placed at the service of the EU and NATO; Eurocorps was established in 1992 by France and Germany; Belgium (1993), Spain (1994), and Luxembourg (1996) joined over the next few years; Poland joined in 2022; Greece and Turkey (since 2002), Italy, Romania, and Austria (since 2009, 2016, and 2021 respectively) participate as associated nations; Eurocorps is headquartered in France

the European Gendarmerie Force (EURGENDFOR) is an operational, pre-organized, and rapidly deployable European gendarmerie/police force; it is not established at the EU level, but is capable of performing police tasks, including law enforcement, stability operations, and training in support of the EU, the UN, OSCE, NATO, and other international organizations or ad hoc coalitions; member state gendarmeries include those of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain; the Lithuanian Public Security Service is a partner, while Turkey's Gendarmerie is an observer force

the European Medical Corps (EMC) was set up in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014 to enable the deployment of teams and equipment from EU member states to provide medical assistance and public health expertise in response to emergencies inside and outside the EU; 12 European states have committed teams and equipment to the EMC

the European Medical Command (EMC) was formed to provide a standing EU medical capability, increase medical operational readiness, and improve interoperability amongst the participating EU members; it operates closely with the NATO Framework Nations Concept’s Multinational Medical Coordination Center (MMCC) under a single administrative and infrastructural framework (MMCC/EMC); the EMC was declared operational in May 2022

the European Air Transport Command (EATC) is a single multinational command for more than 150 military air mobility assets from seven member states, including transport, air-to-air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation; the EATC headquarters is located in the Netherlands, but the air assets remain located at member national air bases; the EATC was established in 2010

the European Air Group (EAG) is an independent organization formed by the air forces of its seven member nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK) that is focused on improving interoperability between the air forces of EAG members and its 14 partner and associate nations; it was established in the late 1990s and is headquartered in the UK

the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR or EMF) is a four-nation (France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain), non-standing naval force with the ability to carry out naval, air, and amphibious operations; EUROMARFOR was formed in 1995 to conduct missions such as crisis response, humanitarian missions, peacekeeping, peace enforcement, and sea control; it can deploy under EU, NATO, or UN mandate, but also as long as the four partner nations agree

the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) is a deployable, combined France-UK military force of up to 10,000 personnel for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations; the CJEF has no standing forces but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations; it was established in 2010 and declared operational in 2020

the 1st German/Netherlands (Dutch) Corps is a combined army corps headquarters that has the ability to conduct operations under the command and control of Germany and the Netherlands, NATO, or the EU; in peacetime, approximately 1,100 Dutch and German soldiers are assigned, but during a crisis up to 80,000 troops may be assigned; it was formed in 1995 and is headquartered in Germany 

the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG) is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units; units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation; it was formed in 2014 and is headquartered in Poland (2025)