Central & Eastern Europe regional overview
Central and Eastern Europe is a market with approximately 190 million people, comprising 21 countries from the northern Baltic states to the Balkans in the south. A total of 11 Central and Eastern European countries are now members of the EU, with Croatia joining as the latest member in 2013.
The table below provides a comparative overview of all 21 countries in the Central and Eastern European region.
| COUNTRY | CAPITAL | AREA | POPULATION | UNEMPLOYMENT | GDP/CAPITA | GDP | GDP real growth rate (annual percent change) | |||
| (sq. km) | (mil.) | (%, 2024) | (PPP, USD 2025) | (current p., USD billion, 2025) | (2023) | (2024) | (2025) | |||
| AL | Albania | Tirana | 28,748 | 2.4 | 9.4 | 23,330 | 29.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.4 |
| BY | Belarus | Minsk | 207,629 | 9.1 | 3.0 | 34,070 | 85.7 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 2.1 |
| BA | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Sarajevo | 51,209 | 3.2 | 12.6 | 22,830 | 33.2 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
| BG | Bulgaria | Sofia | 110,372 | 6.4 | 4.2 | 42,480 | 127.9 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3 |
| HR | Croatia | Zagreb | 56,594 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 51,450 | 103.9 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.1 |
| CZ | Czech Republic | Prague | 78,870 | 10.9 | 2.6 | 59,850 | 383.4 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 |
| EE | Estonia | Tallinn | 45,339 | 1.4 | 7.6 | 49,090 | 46.7 | -2.7 | -0.1 | 0.5 |
| HU | Hungary | Budapest | 93,023 | 9.6 | 4.5 | 48,160 | 247.7 | -0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| XK | Kosovo | Pristina | 10,905 | 1.6 | 10.8 | 20,390 | 12.6 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| LV | Latvia | Riga | 64,594 | 1.9 | 6.9 | 44,110 | 47.8 | 2.9 | -0.4 | 1.0 |
| LT | Lithuania | Vilnius | 65,286 | 2.9 | 7.1 | 57,200 | 95.2 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| MD | Moldova | Kishinev | 33,843 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 19,590 | 19.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 1.7 |
| ME | Montenegro | Podgorica | 13,883 | 0.6 | 11.6 | 34,410 | 9.3 | 6.5 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| MK | North Macedonia | Skopje | 25,436 | 1.8 | 12.3 | 29,510 | 18.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.4 |
| PL | Poland | Warsaw | 311,895 | 36.5 | 2.9 | 55,340 | 1,040 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
| RO | Romania | Bucharest | 238,397 | 19 | 5.4 | 48,850 | 422.5 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| RU | Russia | Moscow | 17,075,400 | 143.5 | 2.4 | 49,050 | 2,540 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 0.6 |
| RS | Serbia | Belgrade | 77,589 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 32,740 | 100 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 2.4 |
| SK | Slovakia | Bratislava | 49,034 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 47,600 | 154.5 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 0.9 |
| SI | Slovenia | Ljubljana | 20,271 | 2.1 | 3.7 | 57,720 | 79.2 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| UA | Ukraine | Kiev | 603,549 | 37.8 | 9.8* | 20,900 | 209.7 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 2.0 |
Source: European Commission Forecasts; International Monetary Fund; Eurastat; ILO; Britannica; *2022
Economic Performance
The region experienced a strong post-pandemic recovery in 2022, but 2023 brought clear differences in growth trajectories. Montenegro became the fastest-growing economy in the wider Central and Eastern Europe region with real GDP growth of 6.5%, while Estonia recorded the weakest performance with a decline of 2.7%. These divergent outcomes reflected the uneven impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which led to higher energy prices, high inflation, and a decline in investment and consumption across most of the region. Growth stabilized at a modest level in 2024 as inflation eased and energy markets normalized, but remained below pre-war expectations.
In 2025, the Central and Eastern European region experienced moderate growth overall, with significant differences at the country level. Poland remains one of the region’s best performers, with GDP growth of around 3.2%. Among the Baltic states, Lithuania grew by 2.7%, supported by rising private consumption and investment.
In terms of GDP per capita (PPP), the Czech Republic is currently the leader in Central and Eastern Europe, followed by Slovenia and Lithuania. Over the past decade, Poland has strengthened its economic position, while Croatia has also made solid economic gains.
The following graph shows GDP per capita in the 11 CEE countries covered by EasyLink’s market research and international trade consultancy services.
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