The enlargement of 20 years ago, also known as the 'big bang' due to its size and impact which led the Union to grow from 15 to 25 Member States, marked the entry of a dozen countries, mainly from central and eastern Europe: Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic, plus Cyprus and Malta.

Here is a list of the 10 countries that joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, in what was the largest enlargement in the history of the European project, and some indicators:

CYPRUS

Population: 920 thousand.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 13th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: (not among the 41 countries evaluated).

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 49th.

SLOVAKIA

Population: 5.4 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 25th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 26th.

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 47th.

SLOVENIA

Population: 2.1 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 15th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 20th.

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 42nd.

ESTONIA

Population: 1.3 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 18th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 19th (best of the 10).

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 12th (best of the 10)

HUNGARY

Population: 9.6 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 21st.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 28th.

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 76th.

LATVIA

Population: 1.9 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 24th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 29th.

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 36th.

LITHUANIA

Population: 2.8 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 16th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 27th.

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 34th.

MALTA

Population: 542 thousand.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 10th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: (not among the 41 countries evaluated).

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 55th.

POLAND

Population: 36.7 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 19th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 25th.

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 47th.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Population: 10.8 million.

Position among the 27 EU Member States in GDP per capita: 14th.

Position in the OECD quality of life ranking: 22nd.

Position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index: 41st.

(Portugal - 20th in GDP per capita among the 27 EU Member States, 31st in quality of life among 41 countries, 34th position in Transparency International's world corruption perception index).

Read Also: EU. The class of 2004 - from the good student Estonia to the problematic Hungary (Portuguese version)