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European Telework Online The e-commerce investment gap: Europe-USA eight year comparisons The free of charge provision of these resources is made possible by our advertisers: The three charts on this page are compiled from data in the EITO Reports, 1994-2001, which have since 1994 been the most consistent and reliable data series tracking ICT investment and use across Europe and in Europe compared with other world regions. Although the EITO reports also provide lots of forecast data, for these charts we have chosen historic data which we believe to be highly reliable. The commentary and analysis are by European Telework Online. IT Investment as a percentage of GDP, EU and USA, 1992-1999 IT Investment per capita, EU and USA, 1992-1999 Cumulative difference in investment levels, EU and USA, 1992-1999 Variations among countries, 1999: IT investment per capita, 1999 PCs per 100 population, 1999 Another page at this site shows relative IT investment (as a percentage of GDP) plotted against per capita GDP, for European countries, USA and Japan, for the most recently reported single year (1999). (http://www.eto.org.uk/eustats/graphs/it-gdp99.htm) IT Investment as a percentage of GDP, EU and USA, 1992-1999 This is a particularly useful metric since it allows us to infer the relative enthusiasm for IT investment between two countries or regions. What proportion of total GDP is invested in information and communications technologies? The pro rata investment gap has worsened between 1992-1999, with Europe investing at three-quarters the USA rate in 1993, but dropping to only slightly over half the USA rate by 1997. In 1998 the gap appears to narrow, but this was at a time when the overall USA economy was growing much faster than Europe's, so that in real terms (the difference in actual spending) the gap probably continued to widen. By 1999 the gap had widened again, even in percentage terms. Click here or in the image below for a larger scale, higher resolution graph.     IT Investment per capita, EU and USA, 1992-1999 This second graph looks at the amount invested per head of population. It addresses the question, "In relative terms, how much overall use is made of ICTs by individuals and companies in one country compared with another?". Again the gap at beginning of the period is wide and it gets wider on a consistent basis every year. The USA spend has been more than double that of Europe for each year since 1993. Click here or in the image below for a larger scale, higher resolution graph.     Cumulative difference in investment levels, EU and USA, 1992-1999 It is when we look at the cumulative effect that the impact becomes most striking. In the period 1992-1999 the USA spent almost 7000 Euros or equivalent per head of population on acquisition of IT, while Europe spent less than 3000 per head. Click here or in the image below for a larger scale, higher resolution graph.     Country variations Within the European Union there are very wide variations between countries, as shown by the following two charts. The first shows the levels of IT investment per head of population (in Euros) in the most recent reported year, 1999. The investment level is ten times higher in the most heavily invested country (Sweden) than in the least invested country (Greece). No EU country reaches near to the level of investment in the USA.     Click here or in the image below for a larger scale, higher resolution graph. The second chart shows the number of PCs per 100 population. This is a useful (if crude) metric indicating the relative local opportunity for local companies wanting to introduce e-commerce methods. Note that the average for the USA as a whole is more than twice the level for the EU as a whole. Indeed, US level of use is more than twice that of all except the top four EU countries.     Click here or in the image below for a larger scale, higher resolution graph. The data in the charts above are all extracted from the European IT Observatory annual reports. Check out our other Statistics pages For comments or questions on this page, please use the feedback form Site navigation: ETO Home | Telework | Teletrade | Telecooperation Resources database | Events | Presentations FAQs | Search the site | Be kept informed | Join the on-line discussion Development of European Telework Online has been supported by ETD, an initiative of the European Commission (DGXIII) ACTS programme Page address: http://www.eto.org.uk/uestats/graphs/93-99.htm