The North Aegean region remains one of the poorest regions in the whole of the European Union (EU), according to data released by the European Statistical Authority (Eurostat) on Tuesday.
More specifically, the North Aegean ranked 3rd from the bottom among the 242 European regions included in the report, recording one of the lowest per capita GDPs.
Out of the 242 regions examined, 231 reported an increase in real GDP in 2022, while decreases were recorded in 11 regions.
The data showed that Portugal held the two top spots regarding per capita GDP growth, the region with Algarve recording the highest increase (+17.0%), followed by Região Autónoma da Madeira (+14.2%). Rounding off the top 3 performers was the southern region of Ireland (+13.5%), followed in fourth by four Illes Balears in Spain (+12.5%), and the Brabant Wallon province in Belgium (+10.9%).
The most significant decrease was recorded in the Yugoiztochen region in Bulgaria (-3.1%). Another region of Bulgaria, Severozapaden, recorded a decrease of -1.7%, followed by Corse in France and Észak Magyarország in Hungary (both -1.2%).
In 2022, per capita GDP expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS) ranged from 30% of the EU average in Mayotte, an overseas region of France, to 286% in Southern Ireland.
After Southern Ireland, the top regions were Luxembourg (257% of the EU average), Eastern and Mid-Ireland (247%), Prague in the Czech Republic (207%), and the Belgian Region of Brussels Capital/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (196%).
The high per capita GDP in these regions (Luxembourg, Brussels, and Prague) may be partially explained by the high influx of workers moving and by some large multinational companies based in the regions (Southern, Eastern, and Mid-Ireland).
Notably, except for Attica, where per capita GDP is 90% of the European average, in other Greek regions it is below 75% of the EU.
