Editing Visegrád Group (section)

==Economies==
[[File:Foundation of the Visegrád Group.tiff|300px|thumb|right|The Visegrád Group signing ceremony in February 1991]]
All four nations in the Visegrád Group are [[high-income countries]] with a very high [[Human Development Index]]. V4 countries have experienced more or less steady [[economic growth]] for over a century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aggregate And Per Capita GDP in Europe, 1870–2000: Continental, Regional and National Data With Changing Boundaries |first1=Stephen |last1=Broadberry |first2=Alexander |last2=Klein |date=27 October 2011 |url=http://dev3.cepr.org/meets/wkcn/1/1699/papers/Broadberry_Klein.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030201511/http://dev3.cepr.org/meets/wkcn/1/1699/papers/Broadberry_Klein.pdf |archive-date=30 October 2013 |access-date=7 September 2013 |website=CEPR }}</ref> 

=== History and categorization ===
Economic transformation from [[Comecon|communist central-planning]] to [[European single market|democratic market-economy]] was one of the goals of the Visegrad cooperation and was seen as an integral part of the so-called “Return to Europe”. The Visegrad countries succeeded to various levels and managed to overcome the economic slump after the 1989 revolution during the 1990s. With integration into the European Union, they chose an export-led FDI-dependent growth model. Not only due to their geographical proximity to Germany, but also due to their elite's decision to protect their industrial heritage, they became manufacturing hubs for Western European companies, foremost for the German automotive sector. This strategy differentiates Visegrad countries from other (semi)peripheral economies like the [[Baltic states]] (dependent on a debt-driven model) or [[Southern Europe]] (debt-based consumption-led model).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vukov |first=Visnja |date=2023-09-03 |title=Growth models in Europe's Eastern and Southern peripheries: between national and EU politics |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13563467.2023.2189695 |journal=New Political Economy |language=en |volume=28 |issue=5 |pages=832–848 |doi=10.1080/13563467.2023.2189695 |issn=1356-3467|doi-access=free }}</ref>

In 2009, Slovakia adopted the [[Euro (currency)|euro]] as its official currency, being the only member of the group to have done so. All four countries are eventually obliged to adopt the euro in the future and to join the [[Eurozone]] once they have satisfied the [[euro convergence criteria]] by the [[Treaty of Accession 2003|Treaty of Accession]] since they joined the [[European Union|EU]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 September 2003 |title=Official Journal of the European Union, L 236 |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL%3A2003%3A236%3ATOC |access-date=28 August 2022 |website=EUR-Lex}}</ref>

=== GDP (per capita) ===
If counted as a single country, the Visegrád Group's [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] would be the 4th in the EU, 5th in Europe and 15th in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title="The Visegrád Group – Growth Engine of Europe" international conference |first1=Johannes |last1=Hahn |via=European Commission |url=http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/upload/documents/Commissioner/Speech-Visegrad-4-Ministerial-meeting-on-Cohesion_24062014.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112062549/https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/upload/documents/Commissioner/Speech-Visegrad-4-Ministerial-meeting-on-Cohesion_24062014.pdf |archive-date= 2022-11-12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=List of Countries by GDP (PPP) |url=http://statisticstimes.com/economy/countries-by-gdp-ppp.php |date=6 Jan 2024 |website=StatisticsTimes }}</ref> In terms of international trade, the V4 is not only at the forefront of Europe, but also of the world (4th in the EU, 5th in Europe and 8th in the world).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Workman |first1=Daniel |title=World's Top Export Countries |url=http://www.worldstopexports.com/worlds-top-export-countries/ |website=World's Top Exports }}</ref>

Based on gross domestic product per capita (PPP) estimated figures for the year 2020, the most developed country in the group is the Czech Republic (US$40,858 per capita), followed by Slovakia (US$38,321 per capita), Hungary (US$35,941 per capita) and Poland (US$35,651 per capita). The average GDP (PPP) in 2019 for the entire group is estimated at US$34,865.

=== Nuclear energy ===
Within the EU, the V4 countries are pro-[[nuclear power|nuclear-power]], and are seeking to expand or found (in the case of Poland) a nuclear-power industry. They have sought to counter what they see as an anti-nuclear-power bias within the EU, believing their countries would benefit from nuclear power.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2013-10/14/content_30291509.htm |title=Visegrád group backs nuclear energy |publisher=China.org.cn |date=14 October 2013 |access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Dont_impede_our_nuclear_V4_tells_EU-1510138.html |title=Don't impede our nuclear, V4 tells EU |publisher=World-nuclear-news.org |date=15 October 2013 |access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref>

===Czech Republic===
[[File:Prague skyline view.jpg|300px|thumb|right|[[Prague]], Czech Republic]]

The [[economy of the Czech Republic]] is the group's second largest (GDP PPP of US$432.346 billion<ref name="imf2">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2019/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=36&pr.y=17&sy=2017&ey=2021&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=935&s=NGDPD%2CPPPGDP%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a= |title=V4 |publisher=International Monetary Fund |access-date=17 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819141428/http://https/ |archive-date=19 August 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> total, ranked 36th in the world).

Within the V4, the Czech Republic has the highest [[Human Development Index]],<ref name="UNDP2019">{{cite web |url=http://www.hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf |title=Human Development Report 2019 – "Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequalities in human development in the 21st century" |publisher=[[Human Development Report|HDRO (Human Development Report Office)]] [[United Nations Development Programme]] |pages=22–25 |access-date=9 December 2019 |archive-date=9 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209061559/http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Human Capital Index]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/30498/33252.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y|title=Human Capital Index 2018}}</ref> [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|nominal GDP per capita]]<ref name="GDP IMF nominal">{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2019/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=50&pr.y=11&sy=2019&ey=2019&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C668%2C914%2C672%2C612%2C946%2C614%2C137%2C311%2C546%2C213%2C674%2C911%2C676%2C314%2C548%2C193%2C556%2C122%2C678%2C912%2C181%2C313%2C867%2C419%2C682%2C513%2C684%2C316%2C273%2C913%2C868%2C124%2C921%2C339%2C948%2C638%2C943%2C514%2C686%2C218%2C688%2C963%2C518%2C616%2C728%2C223%2C836%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C624%2C692%2C522%2C694%2C622%2C962%2C156%2C142%2C626%2C449%2C628%2C564%2C228%2C565%2C924%2C283%2C233%2C853%2C632%2C288%2C636%2C293%2C634%2C566%2C238%2C964%2C662%2C182%2C960%2C359%2C423%2C453%2C935%2C968%2C128%2C922%2C611%2C714%2C321%2C862%2C243%2C135%2C248%2C716%2C469%2C456%2C253%2C722%2C642%2C942%2C643%2C718%2C939%2C724%2C734%2C576%2C644%2C936%2C819%2C961%2C172%2C813%2C132%2C726%2C646%2C199%2C648%2C733%2C915%2C184%2C134%2C524%2C652%2C361%2C174%2C362%2C328%2C364%2C258%2C732%2C656%2C366%2C654%2C144%2C336%2C146%2C263%2C463%2C268%2C528%2C532%2C923%2C944%2C738%2C176%2C578%2C534%2C537%2C536%2C742%2C429%2C866%2C433%2C369%2C178%2C744%2C436%2C186%2C136%2C925%2C343%2C869%2C158%2C746%2C439%2C926%2C916%2C466%2C664%2C112%2C826%2C111%2C542%2C298%2C967%2C927%2C443%2C846%2C917%2C299%2C544%2C582%2C941%2C474%2C446%2C754%2C666%2C698&s=NGDPDPC&grp=0&a= |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019 |work=[[World Economic Outlook]]|publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]  |date=October 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020 }}</ref> as well as [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|GDP at purchasing power parity per capita]].<ref name="IMF PPP">[https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2019/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2018&ey=2018&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=55&pr1.y=9&c=512%2C946%2C914%2C137%2C612%2C546%2C614%2C962%2C311%2C674%2C213%2C676%2C911%2C548%2C193%2C556%2C122%2C678%2C912%2C181%2C313%2C867%2C419%2C682%2C513%2C684%2C316%2C273%2C913%2C868%2C124%2C921%2C339%2C948%2C638%2C943%2C514%2C686%2C218%2C688%2C963%2C518%2C616%2C728%2C223%2C836%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C624%2C692%2C522%2C694%2C622%2C142%2C156%2C449%2C626%2C564%2C628%2C565%2C228%2C283%2C924%2C853%2C233%2C288%2C632%2C293%2C636%2C566%2C634%2C964%2C238%2C182%2C662%2C359%2C960%2C453%2C423%2C968%2C935%2C922%2C128%2C714%2C611%2C862%2C321%2C135%2C243%2C716%2C248%2C456%2C469%2C722%2C253%2C942%2C642%2C718%2C643%2C724%2C939%2C576%2C644%2C936%2C819%2C961%2C172%2C813%2C132%2C726%2C646%2C199%2C648%2C733%2C915%2C184%2C134%2C524%2C652%2C361%2C174%2C362%2C328%2C364%2C258%2C732%2C656%2C366%2C654%2C734%2C336%2C144%2C263%2C146%2C268%2C463%2C532%2C528%2C944%2C923%2C176%2C738%2C534%2C578%2C536%2C537%2C429%2C742%2C433%2C866%2C178%2C369%2C436%2C744%2C136%2C186%2C343%2C925%2C158%2C869%2C439%2C746%2C916%2C926%2C664%2C466%2C826%2C112%2C542%2C111%2C967%2C298%2C443%2C927%2C917%2C846%2C544%2C299%2C941%2C582%2C446%2C474%2C666%2C754%2C668%2C698%2C672&s=PPPPC&grp=0&a= World Economic Outlook Database, April 2019], [[International Monetary Fund]]. Database updated in April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.</ref>

===Hungary===
[[File:Budapest Parlament Building.jpg|300px|thumb|right|[[Budapest]], Hungary]]
Hungary has the group's third largest economy (total GDP of US$350.000 billion, 53rd in the world). Hungary was one of the more developed economies of the Eastern bloc. With about $18 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) since 1989, Hungary has attracted over one-third of all FDI in central and eastern Europe, including the former Soviet Union. Of this, about $6 billion came from American companies. Now it is an industrial agricultural state. The main industries are engineering, mechanical engineering (cars, buses), chemical, electrical, textile, and food industries. The services sector accounted for 64.8% of GDP in 2017 (est.).<ref>{{Citation |title=Hungary |date=2024-08-07 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/hungary/ |access-date=2024-08-18 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>

The main sectors of Hungarian industry are heavy industry (mining, metallurgy, machine and steel production), energy production, mechanical engineering, chemicals, food industry, and automobile production. The industry is leaning mainly on processing industry and (including construction) accounted for 29.32% of GDP in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.profitline.hu/index.php/hircentrum/hir/130567/link5 |title=Elemzői reakciók az ipari termelési adatra (Analysts' Reaction on Industrial Production Data) |date=7 April 2009 |language=hu |access-date=18 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227154237/http://profitline.hu/index.php/hircentrum/hir/130567/link5 |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The leading industry is machinery, followed by the chemical industry (plastic production, pharmaceuticals), while mining, metallurgy and textile industry seemed to be losing importance in the past two decades. In spite of the significant drop in the last decade, the food industry still contributes up to 14% of total industrial production and amounts to 7–8% of the country's exports.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itdh.com/engine.aspx?page=Trade_Food_Industry |title=Food Industry |website=Itdh.com |access-date=18 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713065323/http://www.itdh.com/engine.aspx?page=Trade_Food_Industry |archive-date=13 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Agriculture accounted for 4.3% of GDP in 2008 and along with the food industry occupied roughly 7.7% of the labour force.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/eng/xstadat/xstadat_annual/tabl3_01_02iec.html |title=Value and distribution of gross value added by industries |year=2009 |publisher=Hungarian Central Statistical Office |access-date=31 December 2009 }}{{dead link|date=August 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/eng/xstadat/xstadat_annual/tabl2_01_04iea.html |title=Number of employed persons by industries |year=2009 |publisher=Hungarian Central Statistical Office |access-date=31 December 2009 }}{{dead link|date=August 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Tourism employs nearly 150,000 people and the total income from tourism was 4 billion euros in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/hun/xftp/idoszaki/jeltur/jeltur08t.pdf |title=Táblamelléklet (Tables) |publisher=Hungarian Central Statistical Office|access-date=18 January 2010}}</ref> One of Hungary's top tourist destinations is [[Lake Balaton]], the largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, with 1.2 million visitors in 2008. The most visited region is Budapest; the Hungarian capital attracted 3.61 million visitors in 2008. Hungary was the world's 24th most visited country in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourismroi.com/Content_Attachments/27670/File_633513750035785076.pdf |title=UNWTO World Tourism Barometer |date=January 2013 |publisher=World Tourism Organisation|access-date=3 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819191518/http://www.tourismroi.com/Content_Attachments/27670/File_633513750035785076.pdf |archive-date=19 August 2008}}</ref>

===Poland===
[[File:Warsaw skyline Świętokrzyski Bridge.jpg|300px|right|thumb|[[Warsaw]], Poland]]
Poland has the region's largest economy ([[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|GDP PPP]] total of US$1.353 trillion,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2018/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2017&ey=2020&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=48&pr1.y=12&c=964&s=NGDP_RPCH%2CNGDPD%2CPPPGDP%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a= |title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects |access-date=28 April 2018}}</ref> ranked 22nd in the world). According to the [[United Nations]] and the [[World Bank]], it is a high-income country<ref name="worldbank8">{{cite web|url=http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#High_income|title=Country and Lending Groups &#124; Data|publisher=World Bank|access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref> with a high quality of life and a very high standard of living.<ref>{{cite web|title=SPI PROGRESS INDEX 2015|url=http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/data/spi|access-date=16 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217230131/http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/data/spi|archive-date=17 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp|title=Quality of Life Index by Country 2017 Mid-Year|website=Numbeo.com|access-date=1 October 2017}}</ref> The Polish economy is the fifth-largest in the EU and one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe, with a yearly growth rate of over 3.0% between 1991 and 2019.

Poland was the only European Union member to have avoided a decline in GDP during the late-2000s recession, and in 2009 created the most GDP growth of all countries in the EU. The Polish economy had not entered recession nor contracted. According to Poland's Central Statistical Office, in 2011 the Polish economic growth rate was 4.3%, the best result in the entire EU. The largest component of its economy is the service sector (67.3%), followed by industry (28.1%) and agriculture (4.6%). Since increased private investment and EU funding assistance, Poland's infrastructure has developed rapidly.

Poland's main industries are [[mining]], machinery ([[car]]s, [[bus]]es, [[ship]]s), [[metallurgy]], chemicals, electrical goods, [[textile industry|textiles]], and [[food processing]]. The high-technology and IT sectors are also growing with the help of investors such as [[Google]], [[Toshiba]], [[Dell]], [[GE]], [[LG]], and [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]]. Poland is a producer of many electronic devices and components.<ref>[http://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/products/new/277485.html Toshiba Invests in a Subsidiary of LG. Philips LCD in Poland]. eCoustics.com (10 October 2006). Retrieved 19 July 2013.</ref>

===Slovakia===
[[File:Slovakia bratislava.jpg|alt=Bratislava, Slovakia|thumb|303x303px|[[Bratislava]], Slovakia]]
The smallest, but still considerably powerful V4 economy is that of Slovakia (GDP of US$209.186 billion total, 68th in the world).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm|title=IMF – International Monetary Fund Home Page|website=Imf.org}}</ref>