Eurozone Fast Facts

Here's a look at the eurozone. Twenty countries in the European Union use the euro as their currency, and comprise the eurozone.

The countries in the eurozone are: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

January 1, 1999 - The euro is introduced.

The European Union's Maastricht Treaty "convergence criteria," or requirements for a member country to use the euro as currency:- Annual budget deficits must not exceed 3% of gross domestic product.- Public debt must be under 60% of gross domestic product.- The country must have exchange rate stability.- Inflation rates must be within 1.5% of the three EU countries with the lowest rate.- Long-term interest rates must be within 2% of the three lowest interest rates in the EU.

Denmark doesn't use the euro, and is not required to be a part of the eurozone.

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden belong to the EU, but do not currently meet the criteria for joining the eurozone. Each has committed to joining once they meet the criteria.

Eurozone financial indicators