In which EU region does agriculture contribute the most to the economy? And where is Research and Development most significant? Which region is the most densely populated? Where is the unemployment rate lowest and where is the GDP per inhabitant highest?

The answers to these questions and many more are found in the 2012 regional yearbook published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The publication gives an overview of the most recent economic, social and demographic developments in the 27 NUTS level 2 regions and, for some indicators, the 1 303 NUTS level 3 regions of the 27 Member States of the European Union as well as, when available, the regions in the four EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), the acceding country (Croatia) and three of the candidate countries (Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey).

The Eurostat regional yearbook 2012 includes fourteen chapters on economy, population, health, education, labour market, structural business statistics, tourism, information society, agriculture, transport, science, technology & innovation, European cities, coastal regions and territorial typologies.

Highest R&D expenditure in % of GDP in Braunschweig, Brabant Wallon and Pohjois-Suomi

Expenditure on Research and Development (R&D) was equivalent to 2.01% of GDP in the EU27 in 2009. The share of R&D expenditure in GDP was 3% or more in 35 regions, which accounted for nearly half of all R&D expenditure in the EU27. Among these regions, eleven were in Germany, eight in the United Kingdom, four in Sweden, three each in Denmark and Finland and two each in Belgium, France and Austria.

The EU27 regions with the largest shares of R&D expenditure in GDP in 2009 were Braunschweig (7.93% of GDP) in Germany, Brabant Wallon (7.63%) in Belgium, Pohjois-Suomi (6.58%) in Finland, Cheshire (6.51%) in the United Kingdom, Stuttgart (6.44%) in Germany, East Anglia (5.59%) in the United Kingdom and Hovedstaden (5.27%) in Denmark.

Only two regions in Bulgaria and two in Romania have shares of agriculture in the economy of 10% or more

In 2009, agriculture in the EU27 generated 1.2% of the total gross added value of the economy, compared with 1.9% in 2000. There were 22 regions in the EU27 which had a share of more than 5% of agriculture in value added; seven in Romania, four each in Bulgaria and Greece, two each in Hungary, Poland and Portugal and one region in France.

The regions with the highest share of agriculture in the economy were Severozapaden (14.1%) and Severen tsentralen (11.9%) in Bulgaria, Nord-Est (10.2%) and Sud-Vest Oltenia (9.7%) in Romania, Severoiztochen (9.1%) in Bulgaria, Thessalia (8.9%) in Greece, Podlaskie (8.9%) in Poland and Champagne-Ardenne (7.9%) in France.

Density of the population available at a very detailed level (NUTS level 3)

Some of the statistical indicators in the Regional Yearbook are shown on maps available at a very detailed level, at NUTS level 3, for which there are 1 303 regions in the EU27. The population density, meaning the number of inhabitants per square kilometre, is one of these indicators.

Among the NUTS 3 regions, the population density varied from over 20 000 inhabitants per km2 in Paris in France to 2 persons per km2 in Lappi in Finland.

It should be noted when analysing the figures, that the boundaries of cities at NUTS level 3, in particular in the case of capital cities, may not coincide with the built up urban area, as they may also include countryside around the city. This makes it difficult to compare regions including capital cities.