Regional disparities in Slovakia are shrinking
Regional disparities in Slovakia are shrinking, show wage and unemployment data. GDP data still point at wide disparities, but these data are flawed due to unreliable population numbers (Bratislava has half as many inhabitants as the official figure) and business statistics (many companies report their Slovak operations as if they were all in Bratislava). The average wage in Bratislava came to 134% of the Slovak average in 2005, but to just 126% last year. Unemployment in the three poorest regions in Slovakia was triple the EU average in 2001, but is at the EU average now. Material poverty in Slovakia is falling, courtesy of rising incomes, from 11% in 2008 to last year’s 7%.
