Does population decline lead to economic decline in EU rural regions?

This paper shows that population decline in rural regions rarely leads to economic decline. In addition, it demonstrates that the decline of population1 affects urban as much as rural regions. Lastly, it reveals that between 2000 and 2006 the increase in GDP per head was highest in rural regions in the EU-15, while in the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) it was highest in urban regions.