Long Term Regional Disparities [PDF, 53
BASIC STRUCTURES IN EUROPE AND GERMANY – LONG TERM REGIONAL DISPARITIES Professor Lothar EICHHORN Statistical Office of Lower Saxony, Germany Summary A. The Statistical Office of Lower Saxony has, since 1998, been calculating, on an annual basis, poverty and wealth rates in the Bundesland of Lower Saxony on the basis of the microcensus, whereby net equivalent incomes are calculated using graded income data for various types of household. The threshold values for poverty and wealth have, since 1998, been 50% and 200% respectively of the net equivalent income. However, there has always been a need for more detailed regional data, as Lower Saxony (a NUTS I region) covers a very varied territory, ranging from dynamically growing areas in the west to areas with shrinking economies in the south and east. There are very wealthy areas, mainly around the big cities, and – at least by German standards – rather poor ones. For this reason, the last calculation, for 2004, was also carried out for the 11 regional conversion strata in the Land microcensus – these are larger regions or combinations of several smaller NUTS III regions. The question arose as to which average to use for calculating the poverty threshold. The average income in Germany, in Lower Saxony or in the region in question? This is important, since there are considerable regional income disparities, as the following table shows. In the table, the poverty rate is calculated on the basis of the relevant regional ("regional concept") or national ("national concept") average income. Ostfriesland Lower Saxony Germany Net equivalent 1032 € 1145 € 1150 € income 2004 Poverty rate 12.7 % 14.5 % 14.5 % "regional concept" Poverty rate "national 19.0 % 14.7 % 14.5 % concept" If the poverty rate in Ostfriesland is calculated using the regional average, it is the lowest in Lower Saxony, but if it is calculated on the basis of the German average income, it is the highest in Lower Saxony.
[Show full text]