In 2006 Eurostat conducted a price survey in 37 European countries - 27 EU member countries, EU candidate countries Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey, potential candidate countries, and in Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
The survey, covering some 500 comparable products, shows that the prices of food and nonalcoholic drinks in Croatia amount to 89 percent of the EU average, which is higher than in all new EU member countries, except for Cyprus, and some old EU countries. Prices in the Netherlands and Portugal made 88 percent of the EU average, and in Slovenia, a new EU country which along with Cyprus has the highest prices, they accounted for 87 percent of the EU average.
Food and drinks are the most expensive in Denmark and Switzerland - 142% of the European average, and the cheapest in Bulgaria (56%), Lithuania (64%), Poland and Slovakia (67%).
The prices of bread and cereals in Croatia account for 87 percent of the European average. Denmark has the highest prices of bread and cereals (150 percent of the European average), while Bulgaria, Slovakia and Romania have the lowest prices (41, 56 and 59 percent respectively) in the EU.
Meat prices in Croatia make 86% of the European average. Three non-EU countries have the highest meat prices - Switzerland (195%), Iceland (189%) and Norway (182%). In the EU, Denmark has the highest meat prices (149%), while Bulgaria has the lowest prices (48%).
As for the prices of milk, cheese and eggs, in Croatia they make 89% of the European average. In the EU, milk and dairy products are the most expensive in Greece (138%), and are the cheapest in Poland (67%).
The prices of alcoholic drinks in Croatia are above the European average - 113%. Alcohol prices are the highest in Norway (229%), and in the EU, they are the highest in Ireland (181%) and the lowest in Slovakia (72%).
Tobacco prices in Norway amount to 227% of the European average. In the EU, Great Britain has the highest tobacco prices (205%) and Lithuania the lowest (30%). In Croatia, the prices of tobacco account for 65% of the European average.
At the end of June, Eurostat released data on GDP per capita in 2006, measured by purchasing power parity. According to those indicators, Luxembourg is the wealthiest country, with 280% of the European average, while Bulgaria has the lowest GDP per capita, accounting for 37% of the European average. Croatia's GDP per capita accounts for 50% of the European average.