EU budget: Who pays more among European countries and who earns more?
The EU enables EU countries to achieve more together than they could do alone. Member states contribute to the EU budget and also receive funds from it. Some countries end up as net contributors, meaning they pay more than they get back, while others are net beneficiaries, receiving more than they contribute.
Of course, these bills are not the only benefits of being a member of the EU. The common budget reflects the principle of EU solidarity, enabling significant development in various areas within the bloc. Which EU countries contribute the most to the EU budget and which receive the most payments? Which Member States are net contributors and which are net beneficiaries? How do contributions and collections differ by person?
According to the European Commission, in 2023, the EU's "Big Four" were the biggest contributors to the EU budget in 2023: Germany (€33.8 billion), France (€25.8 billion), Italy (€18.8 billion euros) and Spain (13.6 billion euros). Nine countries contributed less than €1 billion to the EU budget in 2023, with the smallest contributions from Malta (€112 million), Cyprus (€259 million) and Estonia (€355 million).
Among the beneficiaries, the top five included Poland along with the EU's "Big Four". France received €16.5 billion, followed by Poland (€14.1 billion), then Germany (€14 billion), Italy (€12.8 billion) and Spain (€12.1 billion). In the end, three countries received less than €1 billion from the EU budget: Malta (€277 million), Cyprus (€393 million) and Slovenia (€952 million).
Ten countries are net contributors
Ten EU countries were net contributors, while 17 were net beneficiaries. Countries that contributed more to the EU budget than they received include:
· Germany (19.8 billion euros)
· France (9.3 billion euros)
· The Netherlands (6.3 billion euros)
· Italy (6 billion euros)
· Sweden (1.6 billion euros)
· Spain (12.1 billion euros)
· Austria (1.3 billion euros)
· Ireland (1.3 billion euros)
· Denmark (1.2 billion euros)
· Finland (0.8 billion euros)
Poland was the main net beneficiary, receiving €7.1 billion, followed by Romania (€5.9 billion), Belgium (€4.8 billion), Hungary (€4.4 billion) and Greece (€3.9 billion).
Division: Contributors vs Recipients
The map highlights the breakdown of EU countries into net contributors and net recipients. The net contributors are mainly the richer countries of Western and Northern Europe, while the net beneficiaries are mainly members of Central and Eastern Europe. With the exception of Belgium and Luxembourg, the geographical distribution also reveals an east-west economic divide, with the newer member states from Eastern Europe often being net recipients.
Contributions and receipts per person
When we consider net contributors and recipients per person, the picture changes significantly due to the large variations in population size between EU member states. In 2023, contributions to the EU budget per person ranged from €137 in Bulgaria to €688 in Luxembourg. Among the "Big Four", each person in Germany contributed €403. This was followed by €378 in France, €318 in Italy and €281 in Spain.
The Netherlands leads in net contributions per person
When looking at net contributions per person, the Netherlands topped the list in 2023, with each Dutch resident contributing €350 more than they received. Ireland followed with a net contribution of €240 per person, followed by Germany (€235), Denmark (€210) and Sweden (€156). Among the Big Four, France had the lowest net contribution per person at €30, while it was €101 in Italy and €137 in Spain.
Luxembourg stands out as the highest net beneficiary per person
Net beneficiaries per person ranged from €129 in Slovenia to €3,081 in Luxembourg, with the second highest net beneficiary, Croatia, receiving €619 per person. The three Baltic countries in the EU Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania each received over €500 net per person. While Poland was the largest net beneficiary in nominal terms, it ranked third lowest in net income per person, at €191 among the 17 net beneficiary countries.
While Luxembourg and Belgium are among the richest EU countries, they are also net recipients of EU funds as both countries host numerous EU institutions, such as the European Commission and the European Parliament. For example, Belgium had a net take of €404 per person, which was higher than Bulgaria (€299) and Romania (€307).
The overall advantages of EU membership are more than that
A European Commission source emphasized that these figures do not reflect the advantages of participating in the common European project or the added value of the EU budget. According to the European Commission, the EU budget serves primarily as a vehicle for investment, supplementing national budgets. Its main objective is to boost growth and increase competitiveness across the EU.
The budget finances projects and initiatives focused on:
· developing rural areas and less developed regions
· environmental protection
· supporting EU educational and research programmes
· the protection of the external borders of the EU
· promotion of international development
· promotion of human rights
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