Regional yearbook introduction

Planned article update: September 2026.

Highlights

Climate change, artificial intelligence and geopolitics are reshaping society and business. Within this evolving landscape, the EU seeks to ensure its businesses can thrive, putting competitiveness at the heart of its economic agenda.

The United Nations’ sustainable development goals are not just global – they’re local too. As part of Agenda 2030, EU regions strive to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity, by tackling inequality, boosting clean energy and building resilient, inclusive communities.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), collects, compiles and publishes statistics for the EU, including statistics for the regions of EU, EFTA and candidate countries.

Today’s world is defined by rapid change and uncertainty. Data can play a crucial role in shaping and evaluating effective policies and responses to the challenges that arise. This edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook provides statistical insights into a range of pressing challenges at subnational level, from climate change to competitiveness. By leveraging accurate and timely data, policymakers can make informed decisions that drive resilience and sustainable growth.

This edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook focuses on 2 key policy areas.

The European Commission’s new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness aims to strengthen economic growth while ensuring environmental and social sustainability. Through balancing economic resilience with climate goals, the plan aspires to create high-quality jobs, reinforce global competitiveness and uphold the EU’s commitment to a fair, green and prosperous future for all its citizens. This edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook places a logo next to the title of relevant figures, maps, infographics and tables, identifying regional indicators that can be used to measure sustainable prosperity and competitiveness. These indicators have been aligned with those that form part of The future of European competitiveness, a report produced by Mario Draghi for the European Commission.

The United Nations' (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a long-term strategy that aims to achieve a range of economic, social and environmental goals. The UN traces developments by using 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. Eurostat monitors progress towards the SDGs in an EU context. It coordinates the review of the EU SDG indicator set and publishes annual monitoring reports. This edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook places a logo next to the title of relevant figures, maps, infographics or tables, identifying regional indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the SDGs.

European statistics

Subnational statistics

EU countries are often compared with each other in statistical presentations. However, in practice it is sometimes difficult to compare smaller and larger countries. For example, Malta had 563 000 inhabitants on 1 January 2024 and Luxembourg had 672 000 inhabitants, while Germany – the most populous EU country – had 83.5 million inhabitants.

There are considerable differences between and within countries as regards their territorial composition. For example, Ireland, Finland and Sweden are generally rural and sparsely-populated, while Malta and the Benelux countries have much higher levels of population density.

Similarly, there can be considerable diversity within individual EU countries: for example, contrast the densely-populated, urbanised areas of Nordrhein-Westfalen in the west of Germany (which had an average of 532 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2023) with the sparsely-populated, largely rural, north-eastern region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (with an average of 70 inhabitants per square kilometre). In a similar manner, there are considerable differences between regions of France: for example, contrast the bustling pace of life in the economic hub and capital region of Paris (which had an average of 20 200 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2023) with the more sedate pace of rural life in the central/southern region of Lozère (with an average of 15 inhabitants per square kilometre).

Examining subnational or regional data within EU countries often provides clearer insights by highlighting internal disparities – such as Italy’s north-south divide or Germany’s east-west divide – by revealing significant differences in socioeconomic development. For example, Germany and Poland have a polycentric economic structure, with several relatively large cities spread across their territories. In contrast, France and Romania follow a more monocentric pattern of development, with economic activity concentrated in and around their respective capitals.

Over the past few years, Eurostat has expanded the range of statistics that it provides beyond national and regional information to cover other territorial typologies. These alternative typologies address the needs of policymakers, particularly within the context of cohesion and territorial developments, using 2 broad headings:

regional typologies
local typologies that are based on data for local administrative units (LAUs or municipalities).

With this in mind, Regulation (EU) 2017/2391 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 as regards the territorial typologies (Tercet) established a common statistical classification of territorial units. This legislative consolidation facilitates the collection, compilation and dissemination of European statistics at different territorial levels.

Statistics on regions – the NUTS classification

The classification of territorial units for statistics – known as NUTS – is at the heart of the EU’s regional statistics. It is a classification based on a hierarchy, subdividing each EU country into regions, classified from larger to smaller regions as NUTS levels 1, 2 and 3.

The 2024 edition of the NUTS classification provides the basis for classifying regional information in this year’s Eurostat regional yearbook. For example, in Germany there are 400 NUTS level 3 regions, which make up 38 regions at NUTS level 2, or 16 regions at NUTS level 1. Some EU countries have a relatively small population and/or area and are not therefore subdivided at some (or even all) of the different levels of the NUTS classification. Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta are each composed of a single NUTS level 2 region that covers the whole of their respective territory, while Cyprus and Luxembourg are also each composed of a single NUTS level 3 region.

For non-EU countries – EFTA and candidate countries – the concept of ‘statistical regions’ replaces NUTS. Bilateral agreements between the countries concerned and Eurostat apply the same principles as those used for the NUTS classification.

Table 1 provides an overview of the number of NUTS regions that exist in each of the EU and non-EU countries covered in the Eurostat regional yearbook.

Table 1: Number of NUTS 2024 regions and statistical regions
Source: Eurostat

Most of the regional statistics shown in the Eurostat regional yearbook are for NUTS level 2 regions. However, subject to data availability, some maps and figures are shown for either NUTS level 1 regions (more aggregated geographical information) or NUTS level 3 regions (the most detailed level of regional information). The latter are only available for a limited selection of indicators that cover topics such as demography, economic accounts, business statistics, tourism statistics and environmental statistics. No regional data are available for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova; national data are included when available.

The NUTS regulation

The NUTS classification is defined in Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS). The classification is periodically reviewed by the European Commission amending the regulation to reflect administrative changes within EU countries. The NUTS regulation specifies that there should be a minimum period of 3 years stability during which time the classification should not be changed. Exceptions are made when the accession (or departure) of an EU country occurs.

Since 2003, the NUTS classification has been amended several times (see Figure 1), due to:

regular amendments
changes in the membership of the EU
changes to the territorial boundaries of existing EU countries (for example, the inclusion of data for the French region of Mayotte).

Figure 1: History of NUTS
Source: Eurostat

The European Commission adopted the 7th amendment of the NUTS classification (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2023/674) in December 2022. It applies to any data that is transmitted to Eurostat for reference periods starting from 1 January 2024. This version of NUTS – commonly referred to as NUTS 2024 – is the basis for classifying regional statistics in the 2025 edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook. NUTS 2024 provides a standardised framework for regional statistics in the EU, delineating:

92 regions at NUTS level 1
244 regions at NUTS level 2
1 165 regions at NUTS level 3.

With this switch to NUTS 2024, Eurostat tried to recode historical statistics (data for earlier reference periods) to the new classification, although this was not always possible. As a result, data are not always available for a complete set of regions, especially when simple recoding or aggregation was not feasible. The lack of historical data under NUTS 2024 makes time-series analyses challenging. However, EU countries plan to back-calculate key regional statistics in an attempt to improve data availability.

More about the data: the main principles of the NUTS classification

Principle 1: NUTS favours administrative divisions. If available, administrative structures are used for the different NUTS levels. In EU countries where there is no administrative layer corresponding to a particular level of NUTS, so-called non-administrative regions are created by aggregating smaller administrative regions.

Principle 2: the NUTS regulation defines minimum and maximum population thresholds for the size of NUTS regions (see Table 2) to ensure a basic degree of comparability. Different rules apply to administrative and non-administrative layers. Deviations from these thresholds are only possible when particular geographical, socioeconomic, historical, cultural or environmental circumstances exist.

Table 2: Population size constraints for NUTS 2024 regions
Source: Eurostat

Other territorial typologies

Grid-based statistics provide an alternative to administrative boundaries-based regional statistics. They divide territories into uniform grid cells, offering detailed spatial data with a high degree of geographical resolution; for example, the population and housing census that is conducted once a decade provides statistics for a grid that is composed of cells measuring 1 square kilometre. Eurostat uses grid-based statistics to analyse, among other subjects, population, transport, the environment, agriculture and accessibility. For this edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook, grid-based statistics are included for 2 chapters: population and health.

Previous editions of the Eurostat regional yearbook have shown a number of other territorial typologies. These allow analyses to be extended to cover topics such as cities and commuting zones, or the degree of urbanisation. While these statistics remain highly relevant for policy debate in the EU, an editorial decision was taken when compiling the 2025 edition of the publication to concentrate on regional statistics. Readers interested in subnational statistics based on other territorial typologies can refer to the following publications:

Rural Europe (online publication)
Urban Europe (online publication).

A short reading guide

Coverage

Each chapter in the Eurostat regional yearbook presents statistical information in the form of maps, figures and infographics, accompanied by descriptive analyses highlighting the main findings. Information is shown for 13 different subjects: population, health, education and training, the labour market, living conditions, the digital society, the economy, business, research and innovation, tourism, transport, the environment and agriculture.

The Eurostat regional yearbook contains regional statistics for the EU countries, alongside data for several non-EU countries: EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and candidate countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, Georgia, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine).

The geographical descriptions used within this publication to group EU countries – for example, as ‘northern’, ‘eastern’, ‘southern’ or ‘western’ – are not intended as political categorisations. Rather, these references relate to the geographical location of 1 or more EU countries, based on the geography domain of the European Commission’s multilingual thesaurus (Eurovoc).

The designations employed and the presentation of material in maps and figures does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the EU concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Timeliness

Eurostat compiles the information used in this publication from a wide range of surveys and data collection exercises. As a result, there may be differences in the latest available reference year between chapters and indicators, as each aims to show the latest information available.

In general, 2024 data are available for demography (as used in the chapter on population), the labour force survey (as used in the chapters on education and training and on the labour market), EU statistics on income and living conditions (as used in the chapter on living conditions) and the information society survey (as used in the chapter on the digital society). Otherwise, the most recent reference period is generally 2023.

Eurostat’s website may have fresher data due to the continuous nature of data collection and processing (resulting in updates and new reference periods being added throughout the year). Online data codes are provided below each of the maps and figures as part of the source; these codes can be used to access the freshest data.

How to interpret the maps

A majority of the maps in the Eurostat regional yearbook are choropleth maps that use different colour shades to highlight regional differences. These maps are generally composed of 6 sequential colours, from a light yellow (for low values) through to dark blue (for high values). The information presented has been normalised. In other words, rather than show data for absolute values (which could introduce bias linked to the size of each region), these maps are generally based on proportions/shares, rates or ratios. In some cases, the maps use a larger or smaller number of classes or colours, while in others, a different colour scheme may apply, such as when specific colour conventions are inherent to a particular indicator.

The class boundaries used in the legend for each map are computed exclusively in relation to the distribution of regional values across the EU (in other words, values for regions outside the EU are not taken into account when computing the classes). The boundaries for the lower classes are usually based on the 10th and the 25th percentiles, the middle boundary on the 50th percentile, and the boundaries for the upper classes on the 75th and the 90th percentiles. As such, the lightest shade of yellow and the darkest shade of blue portrays those EU regions with approximately the lowest/highest 10% of values. For a limited number of cases, several choropleth maps may be shown together (for example, small multiple maps presenting employment rates by educational attainment for people with a lower, medium or higher level of education). These maps share a common classification scheme for their class boundaries to assist readers who want to make comparisons across the different maps.

Some choropleth maps have been produced using a diverging colour scheme. These maps usually highlight the distribution of regions around a specific EU policy target. They usually show shades of teal/turquoise (progressively darker for values that are increasingly higher than an EU target) and shades of gold (progressively darker for values that are increasingly lower than an EU target). For a limited number of maps, the order of the colours in diverging choropleth maps has been reversed. This has been done when there are policy targets that seek to lower (rather than increase) the value of a particular indicator; for example, the EU seeks to reduce the number of early leavers from education and training. Diverging scales are also used when trying to highlight the differences between regions that have positive and negative values, or values that are above/below an index value (for example, the EU/national average = 100).

This publication also contains bivariate choropleth maps. They provide information for 2 distinct indicators at the same time. An example is a map showing the number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants and the number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants. These maps use 9 different colours/shades organised in a 3*3 grid, from a light shade (for those regions that have low values for both indicators) to a dark shade (for those regions that have high values for both indicators).

Finally, there are several maps that are based on proportional circles. These are used to map regional statistics presented as absolute values, for example, the number of people employed as human resources in science and technology. The size/area of each circle represents the underlying number of people employed, whereas the colour of each circle may be used to highlight complementary information, for example, their share in the total labour force.

Metadata

Eurostat’s data are consistently published with accompanying metadata. These metadata provide background information on each of the principal sources, as well as more specific information about particular indicators and individual data cells.

Metadata about individual data cells are usually referred to as flags. They provide information about the status of the data, for example, detailing whether it is estimated, provisional or forecasted. To restrict the amount of metadata presented under each map or figure, this publication generally excludes information about flags. No distinction is made between data values that are not available, those of poor quality, or those that are confidential; these data points are all simply shown/labelled as being ‘not available’.

Data identified as having a break in series, a differing definition, or low reliability are documented in the metadata notes provided beneath each figure, map, infographic or table. Readers who would like more detailed metadata are encouraged to use the online data codes that are provided as part of the source.

Missing data

Missing data for any region of the EU, EFTA or candidate countries are denoted by a dark shade of grey in maps, while countries outside the spatial coverage adopted for this edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook are denoted by a lighter shade of grey.

In figures, missing data for any of the regions are footnoted. Many of the figures presented in the Eurostat regional yearbook are based exclusively on data for EU regions – for example, charts showing the 10 regions in the EU with the highest/lowest rates or shares for a particular indicator.

When processing the data for this edition of the Eurostat regional yearbook missing data were identified. An effort was made to fill missing cells with data for the previous year (at the same NUTS level); if this was not possible use was made of more aggregated NUTS levels or national data. Any exceptions for different geographical levels or for different reference periods are documented in the notes/footnotes under each figure, map, infographic or table.

Where few or no regional values exist for a particular country, national data have been used to fill the gaps; these exceptions are also documented in notes/footnotes. Furthermore, the source data (online data codes) are adapted so as to reflect any additional national data tables that may have been used.

When statistical information in a particular figure or map covers more than 1 territorial level (for example, only national data are available for some countries), any mention in the accompanying commentaries of the number of regions meeting a criterion are based on the available data, reflecting the actual NUTS levels or national data used.

Policy context

European policymaking must navigate a dual challenge: setting broad objectives for the EU while addressing the specific needs of national and regional territories. The territorial dimension of EU policy is increasingly recognised as essential for issues such as job creation or the transition to a green and digital economy.

Recent challenges within the EU – such as the global financial and economic crisis, security concerns, the refugee crisis, the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU (Brexit), the COVID-19 crisis, the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, or the cost-of-living crisis – underscore the complexity of delivering coherent policies locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Cohesion policy

What is cohesion policy?

The EU’s cohesion policy is designed to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion within the EU. It aims to promote job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, social inclusion and sustainable development, thereby impacting the overall quality of life.

The bulk of cohesion policy funding is concentrated on less developed EU regions with the goal of helping them to catch up and to reduce the economic, social and territorial disparities that exist across the EU. Although cohesion policy covers every region of the EU, most of the funds are targeted at regions where gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant is less than 75% of the EU average.

During the period 2021 to 2027, the framework for regional development and cohesion policy focuses on 5 key policy objectives:

a more competitive and smarter Europe, promoting innovation, digitalisation, economic transformation and support to SMEs
a greener Europe, transitioning towards a ‘net zero’ economy, while implementing the Paris Agreement
a more connected Europe, enhancing mobility
a more social and inclusive Europe, supporting social inclusion, equal access to healthcare, quality employment, education and skills
a Europe closer to citizens, fostering the sustainable and integrated development of locally led strategies.

Cohesion policy: how is it delivered?

Cohesion policy is delivered through a number of specific funds. They are the main financial instruments used to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion across the EU.

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) aims to strengthen economic, territorial and social cohesion in the EU by correcting development imbalances between the regions. It focuses on providing funding for key policy areas such as innovation and research, the digital agenda, support for SMEs and the low-carbon economy. The ERDF also supports cross-border and transnational cooperation, under the European Territorial Cooperation objective (Interreg).
The Cohesion Fund (CF) aims to reduce economic and social disparities and to promote sustainable development in EU countries with a gross national income per inhabitant below 90% of the EU average. It primarily focuses on investments in environmental and trans-European transport network projects.
The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) provides support for people, with a focus on improving employment and education opportunities across the EU, as well as the situation of the most vulnerable people (those at risk of poverty).
The Just Transition Fund (JTF) aims to support territories facing serious socioeconomic challenges arising from the transition towards climate neutrality. It address the social, employment, economic and environmental impacts of the transition and is designed to facilitate the implementation of the European Green Deal, with the goal of achieving climate-neutrality by 2050.

Cohesion policy: how is the budget decided?

Political agreement on the legislative package for cohesion policy for 2021 to 2027 was adopted in the middle of 2021, with the multiannual financial framework including a total of €392 billion for regional development and cohesion. For more information, see the budget allocations for EU cohesion policy 2021 to 2027.

More about the data: the NUTS classification – an objective basis for the allocation of cohesion policy funding

Statistics from regional accounts are used in the allocation of cohesion policy funds, with the NUTS classification providing the basis for regional boundaries and geographic eligibility.

During the period 2021 to 2027, eligibility for cohesion policy funds is based on NUTS level 2 regions being ranked and split into 3 groups:

less developed regions, where GDP per inhabitant (in purchasing power standards (PPS)) was less than 75% of the EU average
transition regions, where GDP per inhabitant was 75% to 100% of the EU average
more developed regions, where GDP per inhabitant was greater than 100% of the EU average.

Additional criteria, such as youth unemployment, education levels, climate change, demographic developments and migrant integration, have been introduced to address regional challenges better.

The EU assigns the bulk of the cohesion policy budget to regions whose development lags behind the EU average, aiming to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities. Less developed and transition regions – predominantly located in the south or the east of the EU, the Baltic countries and several outermost regions – benefit from 90% of the ERDF and ESF+ resources.

Other policy areas that impact on subnational areas

Urban development policy in the EU

The EU’s urban development policy integrates economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects through coordinated measures such as urban renewal, education opportunities, social inclusion, crime prevention and environmental protection. Intergovernmental cooperation on urban matters began in May 2016 with the Urban Agenda for the EU, established by the Pact of Amsterdam. It aims to enhance regulation, funding and knowledge for cities in Europe through partnerships in 14 priority areas including (among others) migration, urban poverty, housing and climate adaptation.

In 2021, the agenda underwent renewal, guided by the New Leipzig Charter – the transformative power of cities for the common good, leading to the Ljubljana agreement. This second phase introduced new partnerships on greening cities, sustainable tourism, food and cities of equality, to be followed by water-sensitive cities and building decarbonisation.

The EU has strengthened the urban dimension of cohesion policy for 2021 to 2027, requiring that at least 8% of the ERDF is allocated to sustainable urban development and launching the European Urban Initiative (EUI) to support cities in innovation, knowledge-sharing and policy development.

Rural development policy in the EU

Rural areas are central to the European way of life: they are valued for their role in food production, natural resource management, landscape preservation and tourism. However, globalisation and urbanisation have transformed many of the EU’s rural regions, such that some are characterised by population decline, fewer job opportunities, ageing communities, an erosion of rural infrastructure and service provision, and limited transport and digital connectivity.

The European Commission’s Long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas aims to create stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040. It includes a cross-sectoral rural action plan to address economic, social and environmental challenges and a rural pact to enhance cooperation between public authorities, private and civil society organisations and academia willing to act for rural areas and communities. The European Commission’s recent Vision for Agriculture and Food commits to update the EU rural action plan in 2025, strengthen the rural pact and rural proofing.

The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is composed of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) that provides income support and support to agricultural markets and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) which supports farmers and rural sustainability.

The common agricultural policy for 2023 to 2027 aims to secure the future of agriculture and forestry, while making the CAP more environmentally friendly by focusing on 10 specific objectives that are linked to social, economic and environmental sustainability in agriculture and in rural areas, for example, fair income for farmers, climate action, the preservation of landscapes and biodiversity, and support for generational renewal and vibrant rural areas.

European Committee of the Regions

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) – which is the EU’s assembly for regional and local representatives – provides a voice for regions and cities across the EU. During the period 2025 to 2030, the CoR has 3 main priorities: cohesion, resilience and proximity.

Economic, social and territorial cohesion is essential for reducing regional disparities and promoting balanced development in the EU. The CoR stresses the need for stronger partnerships and the involvement of local and regional authorities in shaping the post-2027 financial framework, ensuring tailored solutions for community-specific challenges.

To address these priorities, the CoR advocates for robust financial instruments, greater fiscal autonomy for regions, and diversified EU revenue sources. This key priority includes matters on competitiveness, EU budget, just transition and sustainable and affordable housing.

Resilience involves addressing natural and human-made crises, security threats and instability. The CoR emphasises empowering local and regional authorities with better coordination, funding and tools to manage climate action, energy security and water resilience effectively. This key priority includes matters on cross-border cooperation, climate change, water resilience, clean, secure and affordable energy, health, agriculture and security.

Proximity focuses on connecting the EU to its citizens by empowering local and regional governments to address community needs. The CoR highlights the role of local governance in fostering trust, addressing demographic change, enhancing inclusion and promoting democratic renewal, youth engagement and gender equality. This key priority includes matters on demographic change, local democracy, gender equality and youth.

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual multi-day event which allows regions and cities to showcase their capacity to encourage growth and job creation, implement EU cohesion policy and support good governance. The 23rd European Week of Regions and Cities will be held 13 to 15 October 2025 under the headline of ‘Empowering communities’.

Strategic agenda 2024 to 2029

In June 2024, following the European Parliament elections, the European Council adopted a Strategic agenda 2024 to 2029. It addresses global instability, economic challenges and threats to the rules-based order, focusing on 3 main pillars:

a free and democratic Europe – upholding fundamental rights and democratic values
a strong and secure Europe – enhancing defence and security measures
a prosperous and competitive Europe – promoting economic growth and sustainability.

Sustainable prosperity and competitiveness

Subsequently, the European Commission re-aligned its work programme, detailing 7 key priority areas. This publication focuses on 1 of these, namely, A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, which is considered central to improving citizens’ economic and social well-being, increasing their purchasing power, creating good jobs, assuring high-quality goods and services, and reinforcing Europe’s sovereignty in strategic sectors. The plan seeks to bolster the EU’s long-term competitiveness by:

simplifying business operations
implementing a clean industrial strategy
promoting a circular and resilient economy
accelerating digital technology adoption, by enhancing productivity and positioning the EU as a leader in areas such as artificial intelligence, net-zero technologies, or semiconductors
prioritising research and innovation
boosting investment
addressing skills and labour shortages.

Sustainable development goals

The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) provide a global policy framework until 2030 for stimulating action in areas of critical importance related to people, the planet, prosperity, peace and partnership.

On 22 November 2016, the European Commission adopted the Communication, Next steps for a sustainable European future – European action for sustainability (COM(2016) 739 final). It detailed the importance of the SDGs, identified EU policies that contribute to the implementation of SDGs, and announced plans for regular monitoring within an EU context. The EU has made a firm commitment towards delivering on the SDGs and on the Paris Agreement on climate change. Against this background, Eurostat has been called upon to monitor regularly the progress towards the SDGs in an EU context.

Source data for tables and graphs

Download Excel file

Explore further

Database

Regional statistics by NUTS classification (reg)
Sustainable development goals database (including sustainable development indicators by region (sdg_reg))

Thematic section

Publications

Paper and PDF publications

Eurostat regional yearbook – 2025 edition
Sustainable development in the European Union: monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2025 edition
Sustainable development in the European Union – Overview of progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2025 edition

Online publications

Selected datasets

Regional statistics (t_reg)

</maintables>

Typologies

Classifications

</methodology>

Cohesion policy legislative package 2021 to 2027
Consolidated version of Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS)
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/674 of 26 December 2022 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS 2024)
Regulation (EU) 2017/2391 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 as regards the territorial typologies (Tercet)

</legislation>

</externallinks>

This article forms part of Eurostat’s annual flagship publication, the Eurostat regional yearbook.

Methodology

Typologies

Classifications

External links

Legislation

Cohesion policy legislative package 2021 to 2027
Consolidated version of Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS)
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/674 of 26 December 2022 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS 2024)
Regulation (EU) 2017/2391 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 as regards the territorial typologies (Tercet)