Large regional disparities discovered in Latvia

Considering the average level of the country, it is surpassed by: Marupe region (170.8%), Riga (163.4%), Ropaz region (132.4%), Valmiera (117.7%), Kekava region (107.5%) and Smiltene region (100.7%). But there are also regions that are particularly lagging behind, where the level of gross domestic product is about a third of the national one: Kraslava region (38.7%), Rezekne region (37.5%), Balvi region (35.2%) and Augšdaugava region (31.7). %).

“In such conditions, it is necessary to implement a policy of support so that in less developed territories there would be an increase against the background of a general decline, or in less developed territories there would be a smaller decrease than the national average,” writes the business magazine. – The second choice is to hide the true magnitude of regional inequality in Latvia from Latvian society and EU structures. An outstanding form to hide the true extent of regional inequality is the continuation of the initiated administrative-territorial reform, annexing rural areas with relatively low development to much more developed state cities. By merging Rēzekne with the Rēzekne region, the average GDP of the new administrative unit will be greater than the average GDP of the current Rēzekne region per inhabitant. The same applies to Daugavpils and the Augshdaugava district…”