Regional discrepancies in private household income continue to narrow in 2008

Income of private households per capita (in purchasing power consumption standards - PPCS) differed widely across the regions of the EU for the most recent reference year 2008, but the discrepancies are narrowing. Many of the less prosperous regions on the EU periphery have been catching up rapidly since the year 2000, but it is not clear whether this trend will continue. However, early data from some Member States suggest that rural areas were affected by the recession in 2008 and 2009 to a lesser extent than high-income regions and areas with a high dependence on exports.