There are 25 out of 37 sub regions in the UK and 1 of 2 in Republic of Ireland where regional gross domestic product per inhabitant is below the average for gross domestic product per inhabitant in the EU27.
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a key measure of economic development and growth. This data presents a regional analysis of GDP for the UK and Republic of Ireland at NUTS2 level, based upon the level of GDP per inhabitant (often used as an indicator of living standards). The latest figures available are for 2010. See map in notes to editors for geographies used in the analysis of the latest Eurostat figures by GMB.
West Wales and the Valleys has the lowest gross domestic product per inhabitant at 70% of the EU average or 63% of the UK average. Other sub regions in the bottom 12 are Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 72%,Tees Valley and Durham 77%,Lincolnshire 78%,Merseyside 81%,East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and Shropshire and Staffordshire 81%, Lancashire 83%, Border, Midland and Western in Ireland 85% and Northern Ireland 86% of EU average. The latest available figures from Eurostat for all areas in UK and Ireland are set out in the table below.
NUTS geographies (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) is a geographical system which subdivides the territory of the European Union into regions. Its aim is to provide a single and coherent territorial breakdown for the compilation of EU regional statistics. See notes to editors for sources and definitions.
Regional gross domestic product - 2010
PPS per inhabitant
PPS per inhabitant in % of the EU27 average
PPS per inhabitant in % of the UK average
UK
27,500
113
100
EU 27
24,500
100
89
rank
1
West Wales and The Valleys
17,200
70
63
2
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
17,600
72
64
3
Tees Valley and Durham
18,900
77
69
4
Lincolnshire
19,100
78
69
5
Merseyside
19,800
81
72
6
East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire
19,900
81
72
7
South Yorkshire
19,900
81
72
8
Shropshire and Staffordshire
19,900
81
72
9
Lancashire
20,400
83
74
10
Northern Ireland
21,000
86
76
11
Devon
21,400
87
78
12
Highlands and Islands
21,400
87
78
13
Northumberland and Tyne and Wear
21,500
88
78
14
Essex
21,800
89
79
15
Kent
22,000
90
80
16
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
22,500
92
82
17
Dorset and Somerset
22,500
92
82
18
North Yorkshire
22,800
93
83
19
Cumbria
23,000
94
84
20
Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire
23,000
94
84
21
West Yorkshire
23,300
95
85
22
West Midlands
23,300
95
85
23
Outer London
23,400
95
85
24
Greater Manchester
23,500
96
85
25
South Western Scotland
24,300
99
88
26
East Anglia
24,500
100
89
27
East Wales
24,600
100
89
28
Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
25,400
104
92
29
Eastern Scotland
26,600
109
97
30
Hampshire and Isle of Wight
26,700
109
97
31
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
27,500
113
100
32
Surrey, East and West Sussex
27,900
114
101
33
Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area
28,200
115
103
34
Cheshire
28,800
118
105
35
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
34,900
143
127
36
North Eastern Scotland
39,500
162
144
37
Inner London
80,300
328
292
Republic of Ireland
31,300
128
114
Border, Midland and Western
20,700
85
75
Southern and Eastern
35,600
145
129
Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said:
“These figures confirm the Mrs Thatcher's legacy to the old industrial heartlands is that they have fallen far behind the EU and UK average in terms of output and living standards.
The figures also show that for South East far from it all being an economic success story there are areas below the average. The figures are for 2010 but there has been little or no recovery since then. Few will realise that the economies of Cheshire or those areas off the M4 corridor are stronger than Essex or Kent.
What these figures demonstrate is that the old industrial heartlands and the rural areas are desperate for investment that will bring jobs and prosperity.
The whole range of active public policy instruments to deliver industrial development in these sub regions is an urgent necessity. Economic development has to be a major responsibility for national and local governments and the EU and there has to be co-operation between the public and the private sectors. Development requires the mixed economy in action”