Brussels, 18/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - In 2007, GDP per inhabitant in the EU member states' 271 NUTS-2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units, level 2) regions ranged from 26% of the EU27 average in the region of Severozapaden in Bulgaria, to 334% of the average in Inner London in the United Kingdom, reveals Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, in data released on Thursday 18 February. More than one region in seven had a PPS (Purchasing Power Standard) of above 125% of the EU27 average, and one in four had a PPS of below 75%.
The regional GDP table per inhabitant in the EU27 in 2007 (expressed in PPS) reveals that:
a) at the top of the list of the 20 highest regional GDPs are (1) Inner London (UK), 334%, (2) the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, 275%, (3) Brussels (Belgium), 221%, (4) Hamburg (Germany), 192%, (5) Prague (Czech Republic), 172%, and (6) Ile de France (France), 169%.
Of the 41 regions above the 125% threshold, nine are in Germany, five in the Netherlands, five in the United Kingdom, four in Austria, three in Spain, three in Italy, two in Belgium, and two in Finland, with one in each of the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. Eurostat points out, however, that in some regions, GDP per inhabitant is affected to a great extent by commuter outflows and inflows.
b) the regions with the lowest GDP per inhabitant are all in Bulgaria and Romania. The lowest levels are to be found in the Severozapaden in Bulgaria (26% of the average), followed by Nord-Est in Romania and Severen tsentralen and Yuzhen tsentralen in Bulgaria (all 27%).
Among the regions below the 75% level, fifteen were in Poland, seven in each of Greece and Romania, six in each of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary, four in each Italy and Portugal, three in Slovakia, two in France (both overseas departments), one in each of Spain, Slovenia and the United Kingdom, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. (G.B./transl.rt)