Bulgaria's Northwestern Region Still Poorest in EU

Bulgaria's Severozapaden (Northwestern) continued to be EU's poorest region, according to newly released Eurostat data for 2010.

The GDP per capita of Bulgaria's Severozapaden region, expressed in terms of purchasing power standards, was 26% of the EU27 average in 2010, according to data of the statistical office of the European Union.

The leading regions in the ranking of regional GDP per capita in 2010 were Inner London in the United Kingdom (328% of the average), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (266%), Bruxelles/Brussels in Belgium (223%), Hamburg in Germany (203%), Ile de France in France and Groningen in the Netherlands (both 180%), Bratislava in Slovakia (176%), Praha in the Czech Republic (172%), Stockholm in Sweden (168%) and Wien in Austria (165%).

Among the 41 regions exceeding the 125% level, eight were in Germany, five each in the Netherlands and Austria, four in Belgium, three each in Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, two each in Finland and Sweden, one each in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, France and Slovakia, as well as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The lowest regions in the Eurostat ranking were all in Bulgaria and Romania, with the lowest figures recorded in Severozapaden in Bulgaria (26% of the average), followed by Severen tsentralen in Bulgaria and Nord-Est in Romania (both 29%) and Yuzhen tsentralen in Bulgaria (30%).

Among the 68 regions below the 75% level, fifteen were in Poland, seven each in the Czech Republic, Greece and Romania, six in Hungary, five each in Bulgaria and Italy, three each in France (all overseas departments), Portugal and Slovakia, two in the United Kingdom, one each in Spain and Slovenia, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Bulgaria's GDP in 2010 was EUR 36 052 M, of which northern and eastern Bulgaria (Severna I Iztochna Bulgaria) had EUR 13 607 M, while southwestern and southern central Bulgaria (Yugozapadna i Yuzhna Tsentralna Bulgaria) had EUR 22 445 M, according to Eurostat data.

GDP per capita in the country was EUR 4800, with EUR 3500 for northern and eastern Bulgaria and EUR 6200 for southwestern and southern central Bulgaria.

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