Economists and European officials are disputing White House claims that continental Europe is falling behind the United States, after the National Security Strategy and recent U.S. statements portrayed Europe as declining while OECD and EU forecasts show only modest differences in per capita growth.The OECD and EU outlooks, and recent national data, underline wide variation across Europe — with Ireland recording unusually strong 2025 growth from front‑loaded pharmaceutical exports ahead of U.S. tariff threats and the eurozone projected to expand modestly as financial conditions improve.