Matthias Ecke· S&D

Overestimated

Currently, only three-fifths (60%) of generated wealth goes to the people who earn it

Omissions

• The claim does not specify the year or the exact definition of 'wealth' used. Eurostat data shows compensation of employees at 47.9% of GDP in 2024 and 48.0% in 2025 for the EU.
• The speaker may have been referring to a different metric, time period, or geographic scope, but standard labor share measurements do not support the 60% figure for the EU.
• The trend has been relatively stable around 48% in recent years, not approaching 60%.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Annual national accounts - evolution of the income components of GDPIn 2025, compensation of employees accounted for 48.0% of GDP in the EU and 48.6% in the euro area. In 2024, compensation of employees accounted for 47.9% of GDP in the EU.
• PrimaryEurostat - Annual national accounts - evolution of the income components of GDP (archive)Compensation of employees was the largest income component of EU GDP in 2024, accounting for 47.9%.