The GDP per inhabitant in one-fourth of all regions in 2003 was below the EU average. Malta is one of those regions.

According to data released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, in 2003, GDP per inhabitant, expressed in terms of purchasing power standards, in the EU25’s 254 NUTS-2 regions ranged from 33 per cent of the EU25 average in the region of Lubelskie in Poland, to 278 per cent of the average in Inner London in the United Kingdom.

The three leading regions in the ranking of regional GDP per inhabitant in 2003 were Inner London in the United Kingdom (278 per cent of the average), Bruxelles-Capitale in Belgium (238 per cent) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (234 per cent).

Among the 37 regions exceeding the 125 per cent level, seven were in Germany, six each in Italy and the United Kingdom, five in Holland, three in Austria, two each in Belgium and Finland, one region each in the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Ireland and Sweden, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The only region in this group among the new member states was Prague in the Czech Republic (138 per cent).

It should be noted however, that in some regions the GDP per inhabitant figures can be significantly influenced by commuter flows. Net commuter inflows in these regions push up production to a level that could not be achieved by the resident active population on its own. The result is that GDP per inhabitant can be overestimated in these regions and underestimated in regions with commuter outflows.

The six lowest regions in the ranking were all in Poland: Lubelskie and Podkarpackie (both 33 per cent of the average), Podlaskie (36 per cent), Œwiêtokrzyskie, Warmiñsko-Mazurskie and Opolskie (all 37 per cent). Among the 60 regions below the 75 per cent level, 16 were in Poland, seven in the Czech Republic, six in Hungary, five each in Greece and Italy, four each in Germany, France (all overseas departments) and Portugal, three in Slovakia, two regions in Spain, and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta. The lowest ranked region among the old member states was Norte in Portugal (57 per cent).