Regards 11/13 - Regards sur l'impact de la crise sur le revenu disponible

Unlike the GDP per capita, which reflects the evolution of the economy as a whole, the disposable income of households per capita is a suitable indicator for measuring the standard of living in a country. GDP per capita, which was € 82,000 per inhabitant in Luxembourg in 2011, is nearly three times higher than the average of the EU-27. During the same year, the disposable income per capita was € 31,000, a difference of 65% compared to the average of the EU-27. With this amount, Luxembourg is in the forefront of the European continent, but the difference compared to countries such as Switzerland or Norway is quite low. While in the euro area per capita disposable income begins to contract in 2008, this is not the case in Luxembourg. Until 2009, the average per capita purchasing power is still increasing strongly in the Grand Duchy. In 2009 it was 8% higher than in 2006, while the euro zone's purchasing power of household disposable income per capita was almost at the same level as in 2006. The increase in purchasing power until 2009 in Luxembourg is largely attributable to cash social benefits (unemployment benefits, family allowances, pensions, minimum income,..). The purchasing power in our country decreases slowly in 2010 (-0.4%) and more strongly in 2011 (-2.9%). The loss of purchasing power in 2010 and 2011 is mainly due to the impact of compulsory deductions on income. However, in 2011, the average purchasing power in the Grand Duchy is still 4% higher than in 2006, while in the euro area average, it stands at -0.5% compared to its level of 2006.