Most EU regions record an increase in real GDP in 2022

In 2022, real GDP increased in 231 out of 242 EU regions, while decreases were noted in 11  regions. The region with the largest growth in GDP volume was in Algarve in Portugal, with +17.0%. Another Portuguese region ranked second highest, Região Autónoma da Madeira (+14.2%), followed by the Southern region of Ireland (+13.5%), Illes Balears in Spain (+12.5%) and Province Brabant Wallon in Belgium (+10.9%). 

The most significant drop was recorded in the Yugoiztochen region in Bulgaria (-3.1%). This was followed by another Bulgarian region, Severozapaden, which recorded a decrease of -1.7%, followed by Corse in France and Észak Magyarország in Hungary (both -1.2%). 

Source dataset: nama_10r_2gvagr

This information comes from data on regional national accounts published by Eurostat today, based on level 2 of the Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS 2).

Southern Ireland and Luxembourg had the highest GDP per capita in 2022

In 2022, regional GDP per capita expressed in terms of purchasing power standards (PPS) ranged from 30% of the EU average in Mayotte, an overseas region in France,  to 286% in Southern Ireland.

After Southern Ireland, the leading regions were Luxembourg (257% of the EU average), Eastern and Midland Ireland (247%), Praha in Czechia (207%) and the Belgian Région de Bruxelles Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (196%). The high GDP per capita in these regions (Luxembourg, Brussels and Praha) can be partly explained by a high inflow of commuting workers and by some major multinational enterprises domiciled in the regions (Southern, Eastern and Midland Ireland).

Source dataset: nama_10r_2gdp

In contrast, after Mayotte (30%), the regions with the lowest ranking of regional GDP per capita in 2022 were Severozapaden in Bulgaria and Guyane in France (both 40% of the EU average), followed by Voreio Aigaio in Greece (41%) and Severen tsentralen in Bulgaria (42%).