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The present study examines the spatial disparity in southern Poland. It is noted that Poland as a whole falls below the average living standards of the EU, despite the presence of some affluent areas in the west and the capital city of Warsaw. The differences in development cannot solely be attributed to the partitions at the end of the 18th century. The regional development gap in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was not as pronounced as the current disparities. The study also shows that grain exports played an important role in the formation of markets and the specialization of the economy in primary goods production. Between 1664 and 1764, revenue from the alcohol monopoly in Lesser Poland increased from 6 to 33 percent, and later to 40 percent. The partition of the Commonwealth between 1772 and 1795 led to economic crises, particularly in Galicia and Lodomeria, which were incorporated into the Habsburg Monarchy. The new borders and the protectionist foreign trade policy of the Habsburgs hindered trade and led to a decline in trade relations. The disintegration of Galicia's economy from regional export markets had negative effects on grain, hemp, wood, and sailcloth exports. Galicia's peripheral role continued until World War I, despite some industrialization processes. [Extracted from the article]