The entry of these countries would result in a monetary union of some 376 million inhabitants, about 40% larger than the United States and almost triple the size of Japan, with a GDP only slightly less than that of the United States and 2¼ times that of Japan.
Recent developments in euro area statistics An evaluation of current euro area statistics should start with three observations. First, official statistics provide the foundation for both the economic and the monetary analysis of the ECB and therefore for its monetary policy.