Europe in numbers: Eurostat offers new maps and graph tools

It has been great news back in 2004 when Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office, announced that all its data and publication would become available for free.

Now in 2007, Eurostat has upgraded its Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface and has launched a test version which is open to the public.

From what I can tell so far, this is a real step forward for exploiting and visualising Eurostat's vast amount of data.

The new tool offers a customisable Interface for viewing economic, structural and environmental data (the image here show the real GDP growth rates throughout Europe, 2008 forecast). The maps and graphs are presented as scalable vector graphics which allow quality reproduction also in print media (you might need a browser plugin to view the maps, or you simply use the Firefox browser).

Brussels' EU journalists should definitely have a look at the new test version. Eurostat's press releases are often not that sexy, given their long tables with numbers. Many journalists therefore often focus on the main headline or just the recent number for their respective country. The new tool offers an easy way to show the data from a European perspective - definitely many readers would are interested in.

Try yourself: Eurostat's new Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (watch out for the TGM icon)