This map shows the spatial distribution of the economically active female population – that is, women who are in work or who are looking for work – across Europe in 2010. The highest absolute number is in Germany, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. However, in relative terms Estonia and Lithuania have the largest proportions of economically active females as a share of the total economically active population (49.4% and 49.3% respectively), followed by Latvia (48.8%), Finland (47.8%) and France (47.5%). It is interesting to note that in the former USSR, the active female population was typically very high. In contrast, the lowest percentages are observed in Turkey (26.6%) and Malta (33.5%).

This map is based on the most recent data from Eurostat and the World Bank. It shows the total numbers of unemployed people as they were distributed across Europe in 2012. The estimated total number for the whole of Europe at that time was 29,817,744, and it has risen since then. Nearly one fifth of this number live in Spain, which is the country with the highest absolute number of unemployed residents in Europe. In relative terms, the highest percentage is observed in Kosovo, a very poor country, where an estimated 45% of the economically active population are unemployed. The second highest estimated unemployment rate is in FYR Macedonia (31%), followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (27%), Spain (25%) and Greece (24%). The countries with the lowest unemployment rates (all below 5%) are Austria, Switzerland, Norway, San Marino, Monaco, Liechtenstein and Andorra, which are among the richest countries in Europe. It is interesting to note that most of Europe’s people are not as free to move and settle in some of these high employment countries as they are to move to other parts of Europe.