Czech Statistical Office: Accession to the European Union transformed the Czech Republic

20 years ago, the Czech Republic joined the European Union, and thus began a stage of economic and social changes associated with the free movement of goods, people and capital. These are summarized in a new narrative publication of the Czech Statistical Office, which is available in electronic form free of charge to all users.

CZSO

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The first visible effects of joining the EU were related to the opening of European markets for Czech exporters. “The entry into the European Union marked the beginning of a phase of strong economic growth driven by export industries for the Czech Republic. At the same time, foreign demand has been the key driver of growth so far. In the long term, 80 percent of Czech goods go to the countries of the European Union, which is one of the highest shares in the EU,” says Marek Rojíček, chairman of the Czech Statistical Office. Connections with foreign countries were also enhanced by a significant influx of foreign direct investments.

By joining the EU, the Czech economy acquired its current form, above all an extremely strong representation of industry. The Czech Republic’s full-fledged entry into the common European market was helped by the historically built broad production base, qualified workforce and advantageous geographical location. “The importance of industry for the Czech economy is extraordinary in the European context, which is evidenced by the Czech leadership in the field of employment in industry and the above-average share of industry in gross added value,” adds Marek Rojíček.

Since 2004, there has also been a development of services. These were supported by the strengthening of household purchasing power and corporate demand. In relative terms, over the last twenty years, the financial and insurance industries, commerce and especially information and communication activities, where the gross added value has more than tripled in real terms, have grown the most. The Czech economy is gradually converging in real economic terms to the EU average, and within the framework of the new EU members, the Czech Republic maintains a leading position in terms of real GDP per person.

Membership in the European Union is also associated with changes in various social segments on which the common European policy is focused. For example, with the transformation in the field of energy, greater emphasis on environmental protection or the development of science and research.

Membership in the EU is also associated with demographic changes related to migration. According to data from the Foreigners Police, the number of legally residing foreigners in the Czech Republic has quadrupled over the past twenty years and at the end of 2023 exceeded a million people. Membership in the EU increases the attractiveness of the Czech Republic, especially for labor migrants from so-called third countries. Ukrainians thus formed the largest foreign group in the country throughout the Czech Republic’s membership in the Union. Half of EU citizens living in the Czech Republic are Slovaks.

Further details are provided in the current publication Czechia: 20 years in the European Union HERE. Simultaneously with its publication, the CZSO also launched a thematically tuned website HERE.

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