A 5.2% rise in Croatia's Gross Domestic Product in 2002 was more dynamic in comparison to the growth rate in the neighborhood or in some other individual countries

A 5.2% rise in Croatia's Gross Domestic Product in 2002 was more dynamic in comparison to the growth rate in the neighborhood or in some other individual countries, if a degree of development and of GDP of those countries is taken into consideration. According to the European Union's statistical office (EUROSTAT), the last year's rise in GDP in the euro-zone was 0.8 percent, in the United States 2.4 percent and in Japan 0.4 percent. The most dynamic growth in Europe was realised in Greece with four (4) percent and Spain with two (2) percent. According to the bulletin called Economic Trends (in an unofficial translation), issued by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, it is more important to compare Croatia to other transition countries because of the level of their development. Thus, the Czech Republic registered two-percent growth of GDP in 2002, while Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia had 4.4-percent, 3.3-percent, 3.1 percent respectively. Higher growth rates than in Croatia were registered in Baltic countries with Latvia's highest rate of 6.7 percent.