Download Laborium 3 i 4

European Economic Development
Joanna Wolszczak-Derlacz
LAB 4 and LAB 5
Measures of economic growth and development
1. GDP per capita in EUR versus GDP per capita in PPS (Penn World Table, OECD: PPP)
Go to Eurostat webpage and download the data on:
a) GDP per capita in EUR in 2013 for each of the EU 28 countries
b) GDP per capita in PPS in 2013 for each of the EU 28 countries
c) For which of the countries the differences are biggest in positive or negative term.
Comment
2. Recent trends in development (1950 onwards)
 Go to PWT web page.
 Download the data and calculate the real GDP per capita of two selected European
countries and USA in the years 1950-20011 (use rgdpe and pop to calculate GDP per
capita). Prepare a graph (in excel) showing evolution of GDP per capita of these 2
selected EU countries and USA in time. Comment, showing: periods of boom/crisis;
eventual periods of catching up/divergence (versus USA).
 Download the data and calculate the real GDP per capita of EU27 countries
(separately) and USA in 1950 and 2009
 Find the poorest and the richest European country in the initial and in the last year.
Calculate the ratio of their GDP per capita to the American one. Comment.
 Calculate the ratio between the richest/poorer European country in the initial and in
the last year. Comment.
3. GDP per capita – is it the best measure of country’s well-being and development?
Can you list any disadvantages of using GDP per capita as counytry’s well-being?
HDI and GDP per capita - comparision
From the web page of UNDP (http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/) download data for Human
Development Index (HDI) for the EU28 countries for 2013.
Make a graph showing the relationship between HDI and GDP per capita for the EU28
countries in 2013. Comment
4. Catching up
From the Eurostat dowload the data on
a) GDP per capita in PPS for the EU28 countries for as long period of time as possible
b) Calculate average annual rate of growth of real per capita over the time period
analyzed for every country in the sample and for the EU27 as a whole.
c) Assume that member states are going to grow at the speed of an average annual
growth rate for the EU28 as a whole calculate when Poland is going to catch up with
the average of the EU28 assuming its annual rate of growth equals:
- Average annual growth rate of the EU28+ 3 p.p
- Average annual growth rate of the EU28 + 1 p.p