Recent data on GDP and Purchasing Power published by the European statistical office Eurostat has found that the Prague region of the Czech Republic is among the most prosperous in the EU.
Eurostat’s regional data breaks down countries into smaller regions based on population to more easily compare different areas across the European Union.
Here are the top ten areas, according to Purchasing Power per capita, a statistic that compares local GDP with current market prices in that region.
Figures are represented as a percentage of the EU average (2013 numbers):
Inner London, UK – 325%
Luxembourg – 258%
Brussels, Belgium – 207%
Hamburg, Germany – 195%
Gronigen, Netherlands – 187%
Bratislava, Slovakia – 184%
Stockholm, Sweden – 179%
Île-de-France – 175%
Prague, Czech Republic – 173%
Oberbayern, Germany – 172%
While most areas have seen a small decrease in numbers, Prague has risen 2% since data was last published in 2011.
In their report, Eurostat makes one key remark: “The GDP output per person can be largely influenced by the number of commuters. Some regions are seeing a big influx of commuters that help the area to bring growth and prosperity to levels that could not be reached by the local population itself. The opposite can be seen in regions where many of these commuters live.”
Elsewhere in the Czech Republic, the story is much different, with average purchasing power roughly 100% less per inhabitant than it is in Prague.