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Nope. Ireland has done excellent-it was the poorest country in Europe when they joined in the 1970s, today it’s among the top. Eastern and south-eastern countr

Nope. Ireland has done excellent-it was the poorest country in Europe when they joined in the 1970s, today it’s among the top. Eastern and south-eastern countries had lines for bread when the USSR dissolved. Ten years later, they joined the EU. Today, life in Poland or Hungary is close to catching up with Western Europe. Greece had about the same GDP per capita as Turkey when they joined. Today, it’s closer to 3x Turkey.

rfinney 8y ago
Check. "Ireland [...] was the poorest country in Europe" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_projected_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita#World_Bank_estimates_between_1970_and_1979 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_... Check 1972 figures. Spain and Greece were poorer. The unlisted Soviet client states were likely even much poorer. "Poland or Hungary is close to catching up with Western Europe." Poland and Hungary have 1/3 the per capita GDP as Britain. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28no... ) "Greece had about the same GDP per capita as Turkey when they joined. Today, it’s closer to 3x Turkey." ( see previous link). 2017: Greek per capita gdp =~ $18.6K, Turkey =~ $11.5K. Also (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_projected_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita#IMF_estimates_between_1980_and_1989 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_... ). Greece joined in 1981: Greece gdp per capita ~= $5.3K, turkey gdp =~$2.2K.
- padthai 8y ago
  Poland and Hungary are catching up with western countries. But they are starting with the poorest ones, like Portugal.
- alkyon 8y ago
  "Poland and Hungary have 1/3 the per capita GDP as Britain." More accurate comaparision would involve PPP numbers. $43k UK vs $29k Poland and $28k Hungary. So after all they ARE catching... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)...
kolinko 8y ago
Being from Poland - absolutely true, I'm constantly amazed by how much the country accomplished, and how much the EU participation gave us. (Although Poland is not a small country the parent mentioned)

rfinney 8y ago

Check. "Ireland [...] was the poorest country in Europe" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_projected_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita#World_Bank_estimates_between_1970_and_1979 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_... Check 1972 figures. Spain and Greece were poorer. The unlisted Soviet client states were likely even much poorer. "Poland or Hungary is close to catching up with Western Europe." Poland and Hungary have 1/3 the per capita GDP as Britain. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28no... ) "Greece had about the same GDP per capita as Turkey when they joined. Today, it’s closer to 3x Turkey." ( see previous link). 2017: Greek per capita gdp =~ $18.6K, Turkey =~ $11.5K. Also (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_projected_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita#IMF_estimates_between_1980_and_1989 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_... ). Greece joined in 1981: Greece gdp per capita ~= $5.3K, turkey gdp =~$2.2K.

padthai 8y ago
Poland and Hungary are catching up with western countries. But they are starting with the poorest ones, like Portugal.
alkyon 8y ago
"Poland and Hungary have 1/3 the per capita GDP as Britain." More accurate comaparision would involve PPP numbers. $43k UK vs $29k Poland and $28k Hungary. So after all they ARE catching... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)...

kolinko 8y ago

Being from Poland - absolutely true, I'm constantly amazed by how much the country accomplished, and how much the EU participation gave us. (Although Poland is not a small country the parent mentioned)