The EU single market accounts for 18% of world GDP.

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The claimed 18% share is approximately 3-5 percentage points higher than the actual EU share of world GDP, which is around 13-15% according to official statistics.

Omissions

• The claim does not specify a year or data source, making it impossible to determine which period the 18% figure refers to.
• The MEP does not clarify whether the 18% refers to nominal GDP, PPP-adjusted GDP, or another metric, which affects comparability.
• The EU's share of global GDP has been on a declining trend for decades; using an outdated or inflated figure without specifying the year is misleading.
• The claim combines the EU share with a GDP figure of approximately 14.5 trillion EUR, but this was not verified as part of the normalized claim.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat – Key figures on the EU in the world – 2025 editionThe EU accounted for 14.7% of global GDP, ranking third after China and the United States. Data refers to 2023.
• PrimaryIMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026) – GDP based on PPP, share of worldEuropean Union: 13.77% share of world GDP (PPP basis). China: 19.89%, United States: 14.54%.
• SecondaryWorld Economics – European Union GDP dataThe EU accounted for 13.1% of Global GDP in 2025, and 7.6% of global GDP growth in the past 10 years (2015-2025).