Ekonomiczne i finansowe przyczyny szarej strefy w Unii Europejskiej
Economic and financial causes of the shadow economy in the European Union

Summary/Abstract: Motivation: The shadow economy is a global problem due to economic links and population migrations. An unofficial economy exists in every country. Its level and characteristics are determined by the socio-cultural, economic and political-legal factors. Aim: The aim of this article is to identify the causes of the shadow economy phenomenon and the description of its development in the European Union countries. Materials and methods: A critical analysis of the literature on the subject, both Polish and foreign, and a statistical analysis were used. Empirical material is the data of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Heritage Foundation and Transparency International. Results: In 2016, there was a strong relationship between the level of the shadow economy and the Index of Economic Freedom, the Index of Corruption Perception and GDP per capita. A much weaker relationship occurred between the scale of the unofficial economy and the unemployment rate. However, it cannot be concluded that this is not a factor influencing the decision to participate in the shadow economy.

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