Regional Economic Inequality in Poland

The EU Effect

Bibliographic Data

ID11715979
AuthorsKatarzyna A Kurek (0000-0002-6153-1441, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, corresponding author), Wim Heijman (0000-0003-0514-3855, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague), Johan Van Ophem (0000-0002-6940-5626, Wageningen University & Research), Stanisław Gędek (0000-0002-4712-2836, Rzeszów University of Technology)
Year2026
Volume181
Issue2
Publication date2026-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Indicators Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0303-8300 • E-ISSN: 1573-0921
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s11205-025-03759-8
OpenAlexW7124754560
LanguageEN
References cited33

This study investigates regional productivity disparities in Poland at the NUTS-3 level, comparing the results of 2018 with 2005. Using a revised Shift-Share method, we examine the change in indicators to examine how regional productivity has evolved since Poland acceded to the EU. Framed by the Sustainable Development Goal 10 and theories on regional convergence, this research hypothesises that while EU membership fosters national growth, it may exacerbate regional productivity inequalities (H1). We assume that regional circumstances are the cause of inequality (H2). The Shift-Share analysis is innovatively adopted at the NUTS-3 level to address this. It adds to the methodology of regional studies by proposing a new method to compare regional productivity. Furthermore, the expected increase of regional inequality in regional income is measured using a Theil index. The analysis reveals that labour productivity has risen unevenly across Polish regions between 2005 and 2018. It is found that region- specific factors are largely responsible for the inequality of regional GDP. The study concludes that regional economic policies have to target region-specific factors influencing productivity to mitigate inequality, emphasizing the utility of the adapted Shift-Share method as a diagnostic tool for policymakers

Economic inequality · Human geography · Inequality · Productivity · Quality of Life Research · Regional Policy · Shift-share analysis · Theil index · Economic Growth and Productivity · Regional Economic and Spatial Analysis · Regional resilience and development

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Open DOIOpen Access