EU prosperity table: Cyprus’ and Czech economies pushing them ahead of EU's older members

EU prosperity table: Cyprus’ and Czech economies pushing them ahead of EU's older members

Czechs are now better off than Portuguese - the poorest western Europeans. Higher up the table, Cypriots enjoy greater spending power than Greeks, according to data from the EU's statistics agency for 2005.

Luxembourg remains the EU's most prosperous nation, followed by Ireland, where a decade-long economic boom has rocketed the country from the lower-reaches of the EU ranking. However, third-place Denmark has narrowed the gap with Ireland.

The Netherlands moved above Austria into fourth place, and Belgium overtook Britain for sixth, the AP reports.

At the other end of the table, Latvia, Poland and Lithuania remain the EU's poorest members.