Things are completely different when it comes to the rest of the country, though.
Actually, according to the statistical office of the European Union, most regions with the lowest levels of GDP per inhabitant were located in Bulgaria and Romania, alongside one region in Hungary, where economic activity fell below 15,000 PPS per inhabitant.
The purchasing power standard, abbreviated as PPS, is an artificial currency unit. Theoretically, one PPS can buy the same amount of goods and services in each country.
However, price differences across borders mean that different amounts of national currency units are needed for the same goods and services depending on the country. PPS are derived by dividing any economic aggregate of a country in national currency by its respective purchasing power parities.
In 2023, the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant was 38,100 in purchasing power standards (PPS), up from 36 000 PPS in 2022. The highest level was recorded in Dublin (138,000 PPS), while in Paris it stood at 126,900 PPS and in Luxemburg at 90,300 PPS.
According to Eurostat data, Bucharest had a higher GDP per inhabitant calculated in PPS than Prague (73,500) and Budapest (64,100).
In Bucharest-Ilfov it stood at 72,600 PPS and in Cluj at 43,500 PPS.
Meanwhile, the French outermost region of Mayotte recorded the lowest GDP per inhabitant, at 10,500 PPS, followed by Haskovo (11,000 PPS) and Silistra (11,100 PPS) in Bulgaria.
The GDP per inhabitant in Sofia was 52,400 PPS, the same as in Vienna.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)