Eight capital regions in the ten first places
The leading regions in the ranking of regional GDP per inhabitant in 2008 were Inner London in the United Kingdom (343% of the average), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (279%), Bruxelles/Brussels in Belgium (216%), Groningen in the Netherlands (198%), Hamburg in Germany (188%) and Praha in the Czech Republic (172%). Among the 40 regions exceeding the 125% level, ten were in Germany, five in the Netherlands, four each in Austria and the United Kingdom, three each in Spain and Italy, two each in Belgium and Finland, one each in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, France, Slovakia and Sweden, as well as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
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 appears to be overestimated in these regions and underestimated in regions with commuter outflows.
One in four regions below 75%
The lowest regions in the ranking were all in Bulgaria and Romania, with the lowest figures recorded in Severozapaden in Bulgaria (28% of the average), followed by Nord-Est in Romania (29%), Severen tsentralen and Yuzhen tsentralen in Bulgaria (both 30%). Among the 64 regions below the 75% level, fifteen were in Poland, seven each in the Czech Republic and Romania, six each in Bulgaria and Hungary, four each in Italy and Portugal, three each in Greece, France (all overseas departments) and Slovakia, two in the United Kingdom, one in Spain, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
