ABCDiamond

On 13 December 2004, the OECD released its New comparative figures for gross domestic product based on purchasing power parities (PPPs) for 2002.
http://www.oecd.org/document/22/0,23..._1_1_1,00.html

Hmmm and I thought "new" meant ... oh well

Anyway:
The index takes the average GDP per head of the 30 countries of the OECD as its baseline 100.

These are listed in order based on the latest 2002 figures.

* High income (index above 120): Luxembourg, Norway, US, Ireland (129) and Switzerland.
* High middle income (100-120): Austria, Denmark, Netherlands (118), Canada, Iceland, UK (113), Belgium, Sweden, Australia (110), Finland, France, Japan, Italy, and Germany.
* Low middle income (50 -99): Spain, Israel, New Zealand, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Korea, Malta, Czech Republic and Hungary.
* Low income (below 50): Slovak Republic, Estonia, Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Mexico, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The index for Ireland rose to 129 in 2002 from 114 in 1999. Elsewhere the groupings remained generally unchanged.

kirsty&al

One thing I've never quite understood is that if Ireland has a higher GDP/capita than the UK why is it not a net contributor into the EU. The only net contributors are Germany (by a long way), UK and France.

Alistair

OzTennis

When Ireland joined the EU in 1973 (along with Britain) it was the poorest of the then 8 members and qualified for much financial assistance. You rightly wonder, now it is one of the richest of the 25 members, why it isn't a net contributor like the UK (if that is the case, I haven't checked it out). They must have some very good negotiators, the EU must have some funny rules or the EU must move very slowly in response to the pace of Irish development.

On trips to Ireland I have been amazed by the amount of new housing that has been/is being built. When you ask why, 'EU money' is the usual reply. Farmers with uneconomic farms qualify for grants to build new houses (starting up and running a B&B or self catering property for 10 years is I believe one way to attract money). We stayed in a lovely 4 bedroomed house in Westport and the owner told me that it cost him next to nothing to build after his EU subsidy and being able to claim the rest of the cost as a business expense to lower his tax. 'A man would be a fool not to take advantage of it' he said so he now has 4 self catering properties!

It may well be however that this money is starting to dry up in the last year or two?

OzTennis

bondipom

Contributions were negotiated a while back. With the new Eastern arrivals the contributions by each state will have to be re-negotiated at some point. The regional aid that helped Ireland will have to be re-directed eastwards.

OzTennis

And even further east when Turkey eventually joins (once they officially recognise the Greek part of Cyprus and a few other things are sorted out).

OzTennis