Eurostat data: Eastern Macedonia and Thrace 7th poorest region in Europe

Recent data released by Eurostat, the European Statistical Office, has revealed that Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (EMT) is the 7th poorest region in Europe in terms of per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Income Levels Below Half of the EU Average
According to Eurostat’s 2023 regional GDP per capita figures, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace’s GDP per capita is only 45% of the EU average. The region ranks equally with Epirus (Ioannina), another economically struggling part of Greece.

Within Greece, only the North Aegean region has a lower GDP per capita, measured at 42% of the EU average. In contrast, the country’s capital region, Attica, recorded the highest per capita GDP, reaching 96% of the EU average. Greece’s overall GDP per capita stands at 69% of the EU average.

Economic Growth in EMT Remains Weak
The region also underperformed in economic growth, with a growth rate of just 1.7% in 2023—the lowest among Greece’s poor-performing regions, including Epirus and the North Aegean.

Eurostat’s data shows that the fastest-growing European regions in 2023 included:

Malta (+6.7%)
Severen Tsentralen, Bulgaria (+5.8%)
Balearic Islands, Spain (+5.7%)
Canary Islands, Spain (+5.1%)

Meanwhile, the regions experiencing the greatest economic decline were:

Vorarlberg, Austria (-14.1%)
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France (-12.9%)
Groningen, Netherlands (-11.1%)

Growing Economic Inequality in Greece
The Eurostat report highlights deepening economic disparities in Greece, where the Attica region nears EU income levels, while regions like Eastern Macedonia and Thrace continue to struggle with persistent poverty.

Poorest Regions in the EU (2023, GDP Per Capita as % of EU Average):
Mayotte, France (27.6%)
Yuzhen Tsentralen, Bulgaria (41.3%)
North Aegean, Greece (42.3%)
French Guiana & Severozapad, Bulgaria (42.5%)
Severen Tsentralen, Bulgaria (44.0%)
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece (45.0%)
Wealthiest Regions in the EU (2023, GDP Per Capita as % of EU Average):
Eastern and Midland, Ireland (244.7%)
Luxembourg (236.8%)
Southern Ireland (224.7%)
Prague, Czechia (192.8%)
Brussels, Belgium (190.6%)

Why is Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Struggling?
Experts cite several factors behind the region’s economic stagnation:

Lack of investment and infrastructure projects
Deindustrialization and limited employment opportunities
Brain drain, with young professionals migrating to larger cities or abroad
Insufficient government support for regional development

Unless significant economic reforms and investments are introduced, the region risks further youth migration and long-term economic decline. Strengthening regional development projects and job-creating industries is essential for economic revival.