There is a clear gap in the distribution of purchasing power in northern and southern Italy. All of Italy’s provinces ranked in the top ten are located in northern Italy. Surpassing all others are the province of Milano and the fashion metropolis by the same name, whose inhabitants have a per-capita purchasing power of €23,409. This is almost 37 percent more than the national average and 68 percent more than the European average.

By contrast, the ten least affluent provinces are all located in southern Italy (from Naples southward). Last place is occupied by Crotone, which is situated in the country’s far south. Inhabitants of this province have a per-capita purchasing power of just €10,141, which is 41 percent less than the national average and 27 percent less than the European average. Average purchasing power values characterize the provinces in the country’s geographic middle (along a similar latitude as Rome).  

Sharp contrasts between rich and poor in Poland

Poland has a 2017 per-capita purchasing power of €6,710. Ranked twenty-ninth, Poland has almost 48 percent of the average European purchasing power.

A closer look at the data at the level of Poland’s districts reveals extreme contrasts between rich and poor. Inhabitants of the country’s wealthiest district have three times the funds available to inhabitants of the country’s poorest district.

Top 10 districts (powiaty) in Poland

source: © GfK Purchasing Power Poland 2017                        *index: value per inhabitant / average = 100

Among Poland’s districts, Warszawa has the highest purchasing power: Inhabitants of the Polish capital have an average of €12,472 per person, which is almost 86 percent more than the national average and 89.5 percent of the European average. With €6,681 per person, the district of Sochaczewski hovers around the national average.

The number of wealthier and poorer districts has continually increased in recent years. Twenty-two of Poland’s 380 districts have purchasing power that is at least 20 percent above the national average, which is indicative of growing affluence in some regions of the country. But the country also has 119 districts that lie 20 percent or more below the national average. The gap between rich and poor is thus becoming ever greater: Inhabitants of the poorest district Przysuski have less than 62 percent of the country’s per-capita average and just 29.8 percent of the European average.  

Hungary’s purchasing power highest around Budapest and toward Austria

Hungary has an average per-capita purchasing power of €6,204, which amounts to 44.5 percent of the European average. As such, Hungary is ranked thirtieth, just below Poland.

Of Hungary’s 20 counties, seven have above-average purchasing power. These are all located in and around the capital city of Budapest and in a continuous cluster toward the Austrian border to the west. The capital city of Budapest leads the pack with €7,649 per person, which is more than 23 percent higher than the national average, but still 45 percent lower than the European average.

Top 10 counties (megyek) in Hungary

source: © GfK Purchasing Power Hungary 2017                      *index: value per inhabitant / average = 100