March 30 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's Severozapaden (northwestern) region is the EU’s poorest region, with a GDP per capita equal to 29% of the EU average, the bloc's statistical office announced on Thursday.
Five of Bulgaria’s six regions are among the 20 poorest in the EU, Eurostat said on its website.
Eurostat’s data is based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) 2013, which provides a uniform breakdown of territorial units for the production of regional statistics for the EU.
Bulgaria’s Yugozapaden (southwestern) region, which includes the capital Sofia, is the only one of the country's six that is outside the EU’s 20 poorest regions.
Romania is the only other EU member state from Southeast Europe included, with four of its eight regions falling within the EU's 20 poorest.
Following are details about Bulgaria and Romania’s regions among the EU’s 20 poorest:
Country |
Region |
Standing |
GDP per capita as pct of EU average |
Bulgaria |
Severozapaden |
1 |
29 |
Bulgaria |
Severen tsentralen |
3 |
33 |
Bulgaria |
Yuzhen tsentralen |
- |
33 |
Romania |
Nord-Est |
5 |
34 |
Bulgaria |
Yugoiztochen |
6 |
39 |
Bulgaria |
Severoiztochen |
- |
39 |
Romania |
Sud-Vest Oltenia |
8 |
40 |
Romania |
Sud-Muntenia |
12 |
47 |
Romania |
Nord-Vest |
20 |
50 |
source: Eurostat