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Background: Urban-rural disparities have been extensively investigated, while most investigators overlooked urban-suburban-rural variations in population health. Although regional disparities in East-West China have been largely discussed, limited attention has been directed to the interaction between regional differences and urban-suburban-rural disparities. This study aims to analyze urban-suburban-rural variations in all-cause mortality rates across four geographic regions in China., Methods: Data came from China's National Census Survey and public statistical yearbooks in 2000 and 2010. Urban districts, county-level cities, and counties were respectively defined as urban, suburban, and rural areas. We obtained 2322 areas, including 2148 areas with two observations and 174 areas with only one observation. Data visualization was performed to depict geographic variations and changes in all-cause mortality rates. Five hierarchical linear regression analyses with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were employed to analyze variations in all-cause mortality rates over time. Demographic and socioeconomic attributes were introduced as covariates., Results: Despite an overall decline in all-cause mortality rate, rural residents generally achieved worse health than urban and suburban counterparts. In contrast, urban-suburban disparities could be fully explained by demographic and socioeconomic differences. In addition, Northeastern and Central residents achieved better health than Eastern and Western residents. Last, there existed urban/suburban-rural disparities in all regions, except Northeastern, where urban/suburban-rural disparities were eliminated after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic attributes., Conclusion: Even though suburban and rural areas were often merged, there exist urban/suburban-rural disparities in population health. Furthermore, urban/suburban-rural disparities vary across regions.

In the post-economic reform period, the overall economic growth of West Bengal has been increasing. However, agricultural growth has become sluggish since the 1990s. The relatively low contribution of the secondary sector reveals an absence of a strong manufacturing base in the state. The high contribution of the tertiary sector indicates diversification and expansion of services. The time dimension for district-level analysis has been constricted by data availability. The inequality among the district is increasing, with a divergence of growth. Three development indices and a composite index reveal a significant disparity in development outcomes across districts between 2001 and 2013. The developmental gap between districts in the southern and northern parts of West Bengal has become prominent. JEL Codes: R11, 047, D63 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst global sustainability challenges, green finance emerges as a crucial instrument for advancing sustainable development, garnering increasing attention for its pivotal role in fostering high-quality economic development (HQED), particularly within the dynamic economic landscape of China. This study delves into the nexus between green finance and HQED across 30 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2021. Employing the entropy method, indices for green finance and HQED index system are calculated, and their interaction is analyzed through a panel data model, incorporating tests for moderating effects of FinTech and green technological innovation, as well as assessing the heterogeneity across diverse regions. The findings highlight green finance's significant role in enhancing HQED, with notable regional disparities. Specifically, the eastern region shows the strongest impact, followed by the central region, while the western and northeastern regions exhibit weaker influences. The study also identifies FinTech and green technological innovation as pivotal moderators, amplifying green finance's positive effect on HQED. These insights underscore green finance's importance in driving sustainable economic growth and highlight the necessity for region-specific strategies to optimize its impact. Policy recommendations based on these findings include prioritizing the development of green finance, formulating region-specific strategies, and leveraging the catalytic roles of FinTech and green technological innovation to enhance the efficacy of green finance in achieving HQED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In numerous developing nations, challenges such as insufficient investment in innovation and limited capabilities for conversion impede the growth of the construction sector, thus affecting the overall economic well-being of these regions. This paper focuses on construction industry innovation (CII) and its correlation with region economic development (RED), providing valuable insights to overcome these challenges and promote sustainable economic advancement. This study references existing literature to devise an evaluation indicator system dedicated for CII and RED. It then proceeds with an empirical analysis of the integration and synergy between CII and the economic development across 31 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2021. Furthermore, this paper employs ArcGIS and Geoda software to meticulously dissect the spatial distribution characteristics underlying this coordination. The main conclusions are succinctly summarized as follows: CII in China is intricately connected to RED, exhibiting a strong connection that diminishes from south to north. Nonetheless, the coordination level between these factors remains relatively low, with notable regional disparities, particularly from southeast to northwest. The primary obstacles to effective coordination are related to innovation input, output, and economic scale. Additionally, spatial correlation analysis demonstrates pronounced regional clustering, showing stability despite slight fluctuations over the study period. This research underscores the concept of coupling coordination between CII and RED, underpinned by scientific analytical methods. The outcomes provide a definitive guide for advancing the transformation and enhancement of the construction industry while promoting RED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population and economy are crucial factors contributing to regional disparities. Studying the patterns and relationships between these two elements is essential for promoting sustainable development in regions and cities. This study constructs multi-scale geographic concentration indices and inconsistency indices, utilizing NPP/VIIRS and LandScan data to quantitatively analyze the spatial pattern changes of population and economy in the Yangtze River Delta across various spatial scales, revealing the matching relationships between population and economic elements within cities. The results indicate that the economy in the Yangtze River Delta is spreading outward from the core areas, with the average population–nightlight inconsistency index decreasing from 1.57 to 1.33. This suggests that the imbalance between population and economy within the urban agglomeration is gradually improving, consistent with trends observed in statistical survey data. Within individual cities, there is a noticeable spatial mismatch between population and nightlight intensity, with the population primarily concentrated in urban core areas. As urban spaces expand, the areas where population concentration is significantly lower than nightlight concentration are gradually diminishing. By 2022, the land area where population and economic concentration are coordinated within the Yangtze River Delta urban areas increased from 9.13% to 16.24%. Population concentration in these coordinated regions rose from 11.33% to 16.33%, while nightlight concentration increased from 9.98% to 13.63%. The improved geographic concentration and inconsistency indices are effective indicators for multi-scale monitoring of population and economic spatial changes. The integration of NPP/VIIRS nighttime light data and LandScan data provides an effective method for uncovering different spatial patterns of population and socio-economic element aggregation in urban structures. This can offer insights for promoting sustainable regional and urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality economic development (HQED) in China is an important embodiment for adapting new normal of economy and implementing new concept of sustainable development. Accurately portraying the evolution trajectory of China's HQED and tracing sources of its spatial–temporal disparities are of great significance for promoting balanced and healthy economic development. Since the evolution of HQED is dynamic and motivated by the need for continuously monitoring the time-varying process of HQED, we develop a functional high-quality economic development index (HQEDI(t)) in the context of functional data analysis. We use the functional ANOVA to examine the significance of disparities between regions, in terms of static absolute level and dynamic development potentials, based on the continuous measurement of provincial HQED. The extended functional Dagum Gini coefficient is also used to decompose the overall and structural inequality of China's HQED. The results show the following. (1) The overall level of China's HQED has been steadily increasing, and innovation efficiency is the leading factor for improvement of China's HQED. (2) Uneven development between regions exists only at the absolute level and grow velocity of HQED, but it is not significant in acceleration. (3) The overall regional disparities of China's HQED show a downward trend, and inter-regional disparities dominate the inequality of HQED. We make a contribution to the idea of a dynamic framework for evaluating HQED and provide guidance for policy-making authorities to formulate target development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern Russian economy is characterised by considerable regional disparities concerning distribution of incomes and well-being of the citizens. These imbalances can be especially noticeable when analysing various sectors which play an important role in the economic progress of the regions. Within the framework of this study, based on a comparative analysis, the degree of dependence of the living standard on the electromechanical industry is assessed. The hypothesis is advanced that the outstripping growth of this sector has a significant positive impact on indicators of employment, income, and quality of life. Testing this hypothesis will make it possible to create a state policy for equalising the socio-economic development of Russian regions with consideration to the industry specialisation of their economies. Statistical data on personal income, quality of life indices, as well as specific indicators of industry progress in different regions of the Federation were used for the study. The employed methods of correlation and regression analysis identified the links between the level of sectoral development and economic well-being of the territorial units. The analysis showed that such regions as Moscow, St. Petersburg, where an infrastructure sector leads, and a number of oil-producing Siberian regions demonstrate higher indicators of income and quality of life. At the same time, subjects with a less developed sector, for instance some areas of the North Caucasus and Siberia, are experiencing difficulties in achieving similar levels of welfare.

The Scottish Government's latest economic strategy aims for a 'transformation' of the Scottish economy, with higher levels of aggregate economic performance combined with greater equality, reduced poverty and environmental sustainability. In doing so it echoes similar ambitions expressed in Scottish economic development strategies since devolution in 1999. This article provides a contextual analysis of the strategic approaches to economic development pursued by successive administrations and the institutional arrangements to deliver them. In particular, it provides an account of how 'economic development' and its aims have been understood, the shifting balance between a prioritization of growth and distributional concerns, and the attention given to questions of geographically uneven development within Scotland. While there is a degree of continuity across these strategies, the trend has been towards a broadening set of aims around the economy, influenced by growing international interest in looking beyond GDP, concern about regional inequality and a need to reduce carbon emissions. Overall, however, these shifts have not yet marked a radical departure from the traditional underlying goal of seeking increased economic growth at the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of economic development in 23 cities across Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Macau from 1990 to 2022. The results indicated a general growth trend in overall economic development, with substantial fluctuations in absolute differences and a significant reduction in relative differences. The economic development appeared to be balanced both within and between cities. Spatially, the study revealed an increasing agglomeration effect, evident polarization in economic levels, and a distinct core–periphery structure, with central cities in the Greater Bay Area exerting a growing influence on their peripheries. Nevertheless, the peripheral cities, despite their economic strides, necessitate augmented policy interventions and capital influx to bridge regional chasms. The study's outcomes serve as a foundational reference for sharpening policy decisions, fostering regional amalgamation, and invigorating urban blueprinting and city-to-city synergies. This research provides an in-depth analysis of economic development trends across 23 cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau over 32 years. For policymakers, urban planners, and business leaders, the findings present a clearer picture of the region's economic landscape. Notably, while central cities within the Greater Bay Area have become influential economic hubs, surrounding cities still face challenges. These insights suggest a need for more targeted policies and investments, especially in peripheral cities, to promote more uniform growth across the region. By understanding these dynamics, governments and businesses can make more informed decisions that foster city-to-city collaborations and develop better urban and regional strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes spatial differentiation within post-socialist transition using the examples of the economic developments of three small and medium-sized Serbian towns. The selection of smaller towns as objects of study fulfills a general research desideratum in geographical transition research. This study combines quantitative and qualitative methods and follows a historical-geographical approach. In order to shed light on the various characteristics of the disrupted post-socialist transition in Serbia, the period under investigation is defined as 1988 to 2011, which covers the two main phases of the Serbian transition: a period of disintegration (1991-2000) and a period of reorganization (2000/01-2011). By applying a novel mix of theories, it is possible to make statements be-yond an overly simplistic center-periphery paradigm and uncover the underlying path dependencies and economic legacies that lead to specific local transition paths. In addition, this theoretical approach also enables the identification of general patterns and typologies of local development in the transition process: centralization, peripherization and marginalization. The development trajectories of the three municipalities exemplify that the particular post-socialist transition in Serbia also produces particular spatial differentiations, namely strongly delayed centralization tendencies that nonetheless still reflect the specific Yugoslav economic and institutional legacies.

Criticisms against tax incentives typically come from either the regional inequality perspective that compares a locality with others in terms of the amount of revenues foregone or the opportunity cost perspective that compares a locality with itself in an alternate reality where it foregoes less or none. How foregone/hypothetical revenues affect collected/actual revenues and related fiscal outcomes is less understood. This article examines the association between the amount of abated taxes and school district revenues and expenditures in 2019 for the nine U.S. states that have sufficient tax abatement data for such analyses. Findings show that districts experiencing greater incentive cost burden have fewer overall revenues per pupil, depend more on local sources besides property tax, spend less on teaching salaries, and are more likely to be underfunded. Some of these effects vary by district wealth, suggesting the need to fine-tune the incentive award levels according to local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central issue of this article is the mechanistic myth of past economic theories and models that have been imported from the experiences of central countries or even crafted in Latin America. These theories advocate for abstract growth and economic development without considering the heterogeneity of different historical contexts and the detrimental effects of their implementation on traditional ways of life and the environment that occur when applying them. These mechanistic principles have encompassed both orthodox and heterodox economies, including neoclassical and neoliberal approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the role of natural gas in the urban-industrial formation of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina and its association with the regional development process of thissub-national unit. Geographer Armen Mamigonian'stheory supports the study, which uses bibliographical and documentary research as well as an empirical approach to the subject of natural gas. The results show that the current situation of natural gas in Santa Catarina is the result of its consumption in the thermo-intensive manufacturing sector, making it another instrument that strengthens the concentration of production on Santa Catarina's Atlantic coast. Natural gas therefore has dual and contradictory characteristics, as its supply contributes to the process of socio-spatial development but reinforces regional inequality as it is not available in other regions of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With China's rapid economic development, disparities within provinces have increased, leading to significant regional inequality. The goal of financial inclusion is to provide financial services to lag-behind regions and disadvantaged groups to promote economic growth and enhance competitiveness. Further investigation is needed to determine whether digital financial inclusion has contributed to greater inclusion or aggravated regional inequality due to the digital divide. The main aim of this study is to examine the inclusive effects and competitiveness gains of digital financial inclusion from the perspective of regional inequality. By analyzing 23 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2019 through the panel fixed effects model, the results support the existence of a digital divide, which creates regional inequality. Further analysis of the moderating effects reveals that the elimination of the digital divide by digital competitiveness reduces the effect of regional inequality's impact on digital financial inclusion. The advantages of digital financial inclusion to improve competitiveness are already beginning to emerge. This paper reveals that digital financial inclusion has a non-linear threshold effect. At a time of rapid growth in digital financial inclusion, it is crucial to be aware of the inequalities brought on by the digital divide and, more importantly, to capture the beneficial effects of digital competitiveness to enhance regional competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes a dataset comprising 284 prefecture-level cities in China, covering the period from 2005 to 2020. Its objective is to empirically examine the influence of environmental regulation on the attainment of high-quality economic development. The assessment of urban environmental regulation and high-quality economic development is conducted in a rational manner. The results of the study indicate that the implementation of more stringent environmental regulations has the potential to improve the overall quality of urban economic growth. This conclusion provides support for Porter's theory. The primary objective of environmental regulation is to foster sustainable economic growth by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly manufacturing technologies, improving production efficiency, and attracting skilled individuals. The results of heterogeneity testing indicate that there are no significant regional disparities in the promotional impact of environmental regulation on the quality of economic development. This suggests that the government's environmental regulation plan can be successfully implemented to foster high-quality development. However, it is worth noting that the effectiveness of environmental regulation measures towards the end of governance appears to be somewhat limited in promoting high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the salience of ethnicity as a factor in African politics has been documented in the literature, less is known about its impacts on economic development. Using data from Ethiopia, we study the developmental impacts of ethnically asymmetric political representation. We find that enhanced political representation improves access to public goods. Moreover, regional disparities of access to public goods due to improved political representation are more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. To complement our empirical analysis, we construct a theoretical model that suggests potential mechanisms through which public goods provision favors regions with better political representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the proportion of added value of China's cultural industry to GDP has been increasing year by year. However, due to different levels of economic development and cultural resources, there are significant differences in the development of cultural industries in different regions. This study considers a sustainable positive externality by setting the patent as a new output and employs the non‐radial directional distance function in the framework of meta‐frontier to investigate the innovative performance of China's cultural industry because of regional disparities. Our main findings are that there is a major technological gap among the eastern region, the central region and the western region, in which the technical and management capabilities of the eastern region are far greater than those of the central and western regions; Cultural industries have greater room for improvement in the eastern, central and western regions, especially the western region; The efficiency level of the cultural industry is likely to be related to the local economic strength. This article explores the factors that constrain the competitiveness of cultural industries in different regions of China. Then based on its influencing factors, corresponding development measures are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes Romania's level of economic development nationally and regionally. The Gross Domestic Product is the most representative indicator of the results achieved. Therefore, we made a comparison on how this indicator evolved in the eight development regions of Romania, showing the positive or less positive aspects specific to each region. The most relevant indicator that expresses the level of economic development of a region is certainly the regional Gross Domestic Product per inhabitant, but we also analyzed other aspects regarding the economic situation in a territorial profile given the national or European context. We also presented other statistical data significant for this study. The analysis of the evolution of the regional Gross Domestic Product compared to the national and European average represents another direction through which we highlighted the way regional disparities have evolved in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to construct a new generation synthetic regional development index (RDI) that encompasses the four interdependent components of sustainable development (economic, social, environmental, and institutional). This index enables a comparative evaluation of regional development in Peru. The study employed rigorous methodologies, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for RDI construction, the Jenks Natural Breaks method for regional weighting, the sigma convergence analysis to examine regional disparities, and the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient to assess reliability. The results reveal that for the 2015-2019 period, certain regions (Callao, Ica, Moquegua, Lima) exhibit triple the level of development compared to others (Cajamarca, Huancavelica, Puno, Loreto), despite the latter possessing substantial development potential. One contributing factor is the limited progress observed in the institutional dimension. Furthermore, in hierarchical order, the dimensions with the greatest contribution to sustainable development are social (95.20%), environmental (85.98%), economic (84.78%) and institutional (49.42%). The proposed solution includes a prototype web platform that utilizes intelligent algorithms, big data, web scraping, and geospatial information to iteratively showcase regional development in Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines differences in the school-to-work trajectories (STWT) across time and federal states in Germany. It uses administrative data of school-leavers with at most intermediate-level certificates from 2009, 2011 and 2013. While the chances of a smooth STWT improved by increasingly favourable economic development after 2009, the relative disadvantage of school-leavers with low certificates continued. The probability of a problematic STWT remained unaffected and did not vary according to state differences in subsidized training schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research is to reveal and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two groups of regional innovation systems in Serbia -- those operating in Belgrade and Vojvodina region, with strong administrative capacity, and those operating in Sumadija and Western Serbia and Southern and Eastern Serbia, operating without administrative capacity at the regional level. Data were collected from existing databases, and interviews with members of the focus groups. The action research methodology was used also. The findings show that regions without administrative capacity have RDAs with cooperative culture, more externally oriented, and more devoted to building eonomic software and economic orgware axis instead of the regions with administrative capacity. The mature RIS is present in the regions without administrative power in Serbia (Sumadija and Western Serbia, Southern and Eastern Serbia) in comparison to two NUTS II regions (Belgrade and Vojvodina region) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green development is a concept of sustainable development, aiming to protect the environment and ecosystems while meeting economic development needs. In the field of agriculture, green development has emerged as a crucial pathway for reconciling the conflicts between agricultural development and ecological conservation. To investigate the level of green development in Chinese agriculture, regional variations, and the evolutionary patterns, this paper is based on the framework of sustainable development theory. This study establishes a comprehensive evaluation system for agricultural green development and applies methods such as entropy-weighted TOPSIS, Dagum's Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, Moran's I index, and Markov chains to analyze the level of agricultural green development, regional disparities, and dynamic evolution in China. The findings of this study reveal that: (1) The overall level of agricultural green development in China is steadily improving, with notable differences in the level of agricultural green development among different regions and provinces. There are significant disparities in agricultural green development between regions, and the overall disparities exhibit a fluctuating downward trend characterized by periods of increase followed by decrease. The regional disparities are identified as the primary cause of the overall disparities in agricultural green development in China. (2) The eight major economic regions in China are experiencing steady development in agricultural green practices, but there are varying degrees of polarization due to different development speeds. (3) This study also highlights a clear spatial positive correlation in the level of agricultural green development in China, with most provinces showing clustering in the first and third quadrants, indicating a "high–high" (H-H) and "low–low" (L-L) agglomeration pattern. (4) The study reveals that the level of agricultural green development in China exhibits a certain degree of stability. Over time, the probability of transitioning from lower-level regions to neighboring higher-level regions increases, and the agricultural green development level in neighboring regions can influence the spatial transfer probability within a given region. Therefore, agricultural green development demonstrates significant spatial dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the research is to estimate the extent of excess Covid-19 cases and mortalities in India and examine its relationship with the degree of economic progress in various parts of the country especially given the uneven nature of the impact of the pandemic throughout the nation. The main hypotheses of the study were: 1) in areas with a high level of income per capita, the death rate per 100,000 population will be lower; 2) areas with a high level of income per capita tend to be more urbanized, economically active, and therefore quite densely populated, which increases the probability of morbidity and mortality. The object of research is over 20 million Covid-19 cases and over 370,000 deaths in 31 States and Union Territories (UTs) in India beginning in the first months of the pandemic and going through the middle of 2021. The methodological tools of the conducted research were the methods of regression analysis. The study of a relative measure of success in pandemic management (less than one-half of the median death rate as the relative threshold for measuring success) empirically confirms and theoretically proves that India had at least 16.6 million excess Covid-19 cases and over 228,000 excess COVID-19 deaths as of June 18, 2021. The paper presents the results of an empirical analysis of the relationship between excess deaths of the population from Covid-19 and state-level per-capita income (as an explanatory variable), which testified that about 60% of actual and excess deaths can be explained by the per-capita income alone. According to the results of the analysis, it was proved that actual and excess deaths are both higher in richer states. Poorer states did considerably well in keeping Covid-19 mortality low compared to their more affluent counterparts. The positive relationship between Covid-19 mortality and per-capita income does not go away even after controlling for the caseloads used as a proxy for the spread of the pandemic. This augmented model explains about 80% of the actual and excess deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic in India. After controlling for caseloads, a thousand Rupees increase in per-capita income contributed to about 15 additional deaths per 100,000 population. The article presents the results of an empirical analysis of the relationship between economic development (as measured by the per-capita income) and excess mortality from COVID-19, which proved a positive relationship between them and proved a potentially adverse impact of economic progress on human immunity, especially if population density, living conditions, and food security moderate that relationship.

This paper studies the relationship between economic development and within-country income inequality using satellite night-light data for a panel of 49 African countries. We highlight three worrisome facts describing regional income disparities in Africa, which rank among the highest in the world, they are persistent, and they have increased 2.16% annually over the period 1992–2012. Our instrumental variable (IV) results confirm the existence of a regional Kuznets curve characterized by an inverted U curve, implying that although economic progress increases regional income inequalities at first, this positive link eventually flats out at a certain level of GDP per capita (2200 constant USD) and turns to reduce income inequality as further as GDP per capita still increases. We also find that the positive impact of total trade on regional income inequalities disappears once we account for potential endogeneity issues. Aid flows, FDI, industry, oil rents, government share, and institutions present positive correlations and reinforce our main results. Our conclusions should raise the concern for policymakers and economists to enhance policies towards a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable economic future in Africa, especially in the least developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the effects of European Union (EU) funds on gross domestic product growth by analysing the causal impact of regional absorption speed. The analysis is conducted using a regression discontinuity design approach with heterogeneous treatment on NUTS-2 regions during the period 2000–16. We show that faster absorption of EU funds in the Objective 1 regions, especially the Mediterranean ones, is associated with worse economic outcomes from the Objective 1 treatment. However, this pattern is not observed in the non-treated regions. Regarding policy implications, this study suggests that incentives to increase absorption speeds should be removed in Objective 1 regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic profile of women in any country reflects the overall status of women. Economic development of any country significantly depends upon the participation rates of its women. Women's empowerment is crucial for raising their living standards and well-being. India is a country of diversity regarding the wide geographical, cultural and social variations. Haryana is known as one of the developed states of India, but even then there is prevailing much gender-based inequality and male dominance in all dimensions of life. The position of women in Mahendergarh district of Haryana is no better than the other districts of Haryana. The objective of the paper is to understand the demographic profile of women status in Mahendergarh District, Haryana as per Census 2011. It reveals the three main indicators sex ratio, women literacy and her work participation in the process of their empowerment with special attention to the gender perspective. This paper will examine the regional disparity of sex ratio, literacy rate and female work participation and the improvement of empowerment of women in the Mahendergarh district state of Haryana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earlier studies relating form and functions of cities address an intriguing and complex research issue, especially for specific urban typologies. Although with inherent differences on a local scale, Mediterranean cities represent diversified settlement morphologies and multifaceted socioeconomic contexts. The present study investigates the socioeconomic structure at the base of rapid development of a large Mediterranean agglomeration (Athens, Greece). Results of a multivariate analysis of the spatial distribution of average (per-capita) declared income and non-parametric correlations of contextual indicators suggest that the characteristic socio-spatial structure of the 1970s and the 1980s in Athens had slightly changed in recent times. A remarkable segregation in wealthy and disadvantaged communities - well beyond the urban-rural divide usually observed in Mediterranean regions - consolidated in recent decades. Despite economic transformations shaping urban design and infrastructural networks, persistent disparities between affluent and economically depressed neighborhoods still characterize the socio-spatial structure of contemporary Athens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ASEAN countries are in a golden stage of development, although the uneven regional development remains a prominent challenge to integrated growth. The study tries to investigate regional inequality in ASEAN countries from an outer space perspective. It first estimates the relationship between nighttime light intensity and GDP per capita for the 10 ASEAN countries at the national level, based on which it predicts regional incomes at the subnational level to assess regional inequality and explores the affecting factors. The results indicate that regional inequality in the ASEAN region and economic development present an inverted N-shaped relationship. The overall inequality of the region is largely attributed to the uneven development between countries. It is also found that transportation, urbanization, openness, mineral rents, and tax revenue are all significantly relevant to regional inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nova Economia is the property of Nova Economia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on Romania, exacerbating existing inequalities in the country. Economic disparities between counties were deepened, with counties with higher GDP per capita and diverse economic activities faring better than those with lower GDP per capita and narrow economic activities. The pandemic also led to a decline in population numbers, with most counties in the historical regions of Muntenia and Moldova experiencing below-average declines. In addition, the pandemic had a significant impact on the average life expectancy in Romania, highlighting the need for targeted policies and interventions to address these regional inequalities. Lastly, the pandemic negatively affected labor force participation rates in Romania, further highlighting the need for policymakers to implement measures to encourage more individuals to enter and remain in the labor market, particularly in regions with lower participation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview of the Italian scenario has been developed considering the driving role SMEs play in the economic structure of the country and the pioneering function they have played in R&D and Innovation of Italy and of the whole Union in general. Through secondary data provided by various sources, such as the Cordis1 database, Istat and CIS 20182 we have done the analysis of regional disparities, which is also evident in the access to the European funds for research and innovation of SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the position held by Italy in relation to the opportunities offered by the European Union in the field of R&D and innovation, reflecting the changes that can be undertaken by the Italian national policy to serve as a bridge between the European institutions that offer these types of funds and SMEs and to better guide the latter towards the appropriate resources based on their distinctive characteristics which constitute a great development potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital finance is expected to improve the financial development of economic backward regions through its inclusive nature. Therefore, this paper selects the financial data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2017 to evaluate regional finance disparities with the inclusion of digital finance, using the meta‐frontier slack‐based measure dynamic DEA model. The results are as follows. (1) The overall financial efficiency, input efficiency, output efficiency, and TGR in the eastern region are better than those in the non‐eastern region. (2) With the inclusion of digital finance, the finance efficiency gaps in the eastern and non‐eastern regions have expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although scholarly attention towards inclusive economic development is emergent, its concept and evaluation remain ambiguous since few attempts have been made to elaborate on its definitions and goals. In this study, we conceptualize and define inclusive economic development, propose a productivity perspective for evaluating it, and construct an inclusive total factor productivity index based on data envelopment analysis. According to the estimation results, we report and map the major findings of our index. The results demonstrate that although inclusive economic development is progressing globally, significant regional disparities persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS2) level data from Eurostat and the Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS), a strong geographical concentration in the field of RDI can be observed in Hungary. Regional disparities are more significant than in most European Union (EU) member countries and have not changed for a long time. The development of regional innovation capacity is a fundamental aspect from an economic policy point of view; therefore, the Hungarian RDI policy considers higher education institutions that play a major role in the region and have a strong knowledge production capacity, as potential key players in knowledge transfer. According to the intervention logic of the introduced new measures, university-based project- and system-level programs launched can have an impact on local actors through several channels. The university's knowledge base can be exploited, local businesses can increase their competitiveness through access to technology and RDI services, and their innovation performance can be improved. The key result of this study, based on a review of innovation policy measures, is to show how the new programs launched and the new institutions created under this new innovation policy paradigm will contribute to a longer and more sustainable way of reducing regional disparities in RDI capacities and enhance regional innovation performance through their impact on economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were global and led to an economic decline in most countries of the EU. The development and values of economic indicators varied from country to country and showed significant regional differences. The study evaluates the coverage of selected economic indicators in the Member States of the EU in the period 2010–2020. The analytical part is based on empirical statistical data. As a methodological procedure for testing the convergence of the EU, we compared the results of the coefficient of variation of GDP per capita in PPP and the unemployment rate. The findings of this study confirm the predicted development trends. The pandemic has reversed major convergence trends. Divergence within the EU was affected by a lower decline in GDP in the developed countries of the EU. The tendencies of social disparities in the unemployment rate were different from the development of the coefficient of variation of GDP per capita. The first year of the pandemic marked a decline in disparities between the countries of the EU. For future research, we recommend monitoring the development of convergence in the next pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper analyses the inequality between the regions of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries by using stochastic multi-objective acceptability analysis and the associated multivariate Gini index. By considering a large number of possible combinations of weights, the distribution of the potential rankings for each region is used to measure multidimensional inequality both within and between countries. Our results show that beyond the expected two clubs of rich and poor countries, a third group of countries emerges that belongs neither to the top nor to the bottom of the ranking, an outcome that can be attributed to the presence of significant economic differences among regions within those countries. Most of the inequality lies between countries, but regional well-being also significantly varies within the same countries and we find an inverse U-shape connection between regional well-being and its inequality within the OECD member countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative linkage between income inequality and social trust is widely acknowledged. Despite this consensus, it remains unclear at what level of aggregation income inequality matters most to the cultivation of social trust. In a comprehensive review, Wilkinson and Pickett (Annu Rev Sociol 35:493–511, 2009) speculate that income inequality is most important when measured at the societal level, whereas for lower units of aggregation economic development becomes a stronger predictor. Merging regional inequality data for 216 regions in 22 European countries (2010–2014) to the European Social Survey, this paper is the first to examine this claim for social trust. The results demonstrate that in non-Eastern European countries most of the variation in social trust is accounted for by differences in inequality between countries rather than differences in inequality within countries. For economic development, the opposite is true. Within-country differences in economic development relate significantly to social trust, while between-country differences do not. I conclude that social trust is more strongly affected by the stratification of society as a whole than by income inequalities within smaller units of aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional development disparities, especially in developing countries, have traditionally been one of the central issues of empirical research in regional economics. However, this rapid change is accompanied by profound changes in the spatial distribution of economic activities in China, the formation of regional economic "blocks," the widening of regional disparities, and the geographical concentration of economic growth efficiency are important issues highlighted in this change. Therefore, it is important to explore the spatial clustering characteristics and patterns of regional economic growth to provide a scientific basis for relevant government departments to formulate reasonable regional development strategies and promote the balanced and stable development of economic growth. Clustering analysis is an important research topic in the field of data mining, which is used to discover unknown object classes in large-scale data sets. This paper proposes a density-clustering algorithm based on the regional economic competitiveness of China and analyzes its spatial aggregation characteristics. From the perspective of spatial structure theory, economic development is a dynamic process, and to optimize the spatial pattern of China's regional economic development and improve the efficiency of economic interaction between regions, it is necessary to fully exploit the diffusion and trickle-down effects of important growth poles in the region to the surrounding areas. The experimental results show that the error rate of KSNN is very small, and the error rate of K-means and PSO has increased to a certain extent. Therefore, it can be obtained that the density-clustering algorithm based on the regional economic competitiveness zoning method in China can find out the correct clustering results without the given clustering individual cases. Thus, it is important to grasp the current situation of regional economic agglomeration and reveal the driving factors of agglomeration formation to promote the coordinated development of regional economy and guide the spatial layout of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of inequalities in its regional dimension is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, in the 2030 Agenda, proposed by the United Nations (UN). By itself, this goal entails the challenge of monitoring local disparities from a metric that may allow the assessment of regional development, with parameters compatible with those used to follow the trajectory of the countries. The present research is part of this perspective, seeking highlighting what has been the performance of the State of Paraná in terms of promoting the well-being of its population. The evaluation was performed using an international database that provides a historical series of the Human Development Index (HDI) for national subunits of 186 countries, for the period 1990/2019. In addition to verifying and qualifying the advances observed in the State during this period, an estimate of the future evolution of the Paraná HDI for the period 2020/2035 is presented, based on an econometric model that includes four indicators (three sub-indices and the HDI). This estimate allowed the identification of the trend trajectory of the HDI in the State, which was analysed and assessed considering the trajectories observed in some selected countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research's aim was to comparatively evaluate regional development in Peru in the period 2015-2019, through the multidimensional elaboration of a Regional Development Index (RDI) that involves the four interdependent components of sustainable development (economic, social, environmental and institutional). For this, it has been rigorously followed the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the Jenks Natural Breaks method, the sigma convergence and the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. The results show that certain regions (Callao, Ica, Moquegua, Lima) triple the development of others (Cajamarca, Huancavelica, Puno, Loreto), despite the fact that the latter have large sources of development; one reason is due to the low progress in the institutional dimension. In hierarchical order, the dimensions with the greatest contribution to the RDI (degree of association of the dimensions with respect to the RDI) are social (95.20%), environmental (95.98%), economic (84.78%) and institutional (49.42%). In addition, the results show the existence of a regional sigma convergence, which indicates that regional disparities decreased in the 2015-2019 period. Likewise, Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient (0.90) reports the existence of internal reliability in the methodology used. Finally, the design of a web platform prototype that iteratively shows Peru regional development is included, using intelligent algorithms, big data, web scraping and geospatial information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes an explorative approach for analyzing the economic development of German Spatial Planning Regions during and after the Great Recession covering the period from 2007 to 2017. Specifically, we are interested in the relation between the short- and the mid-term resilience of regions and in the role of the underlying economic structure in this regard. For this purpose, we categorize regions by their GDP per capita growth in the resistance and recovery phase and then characterize the resulting region types by their average structural characteristics and track their performance through the renewal and reorientation phase. Our analysis reveals that, in general, larger shares of manufacturing, higher degrees of export orientation and specialization, and lower shares of public sector services are associated with weaker resilience and stronger recovery capacity. In addition, we observe a catch-up effect of regions with at least either an above-average resistance or recovery compared to regions with both weak resistance and slow recovery. However, we do not find a substantial reorientation effect because, in the case of Germany, the advantages of regional economic specialization still outweigh its potential disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of environmental security in the context of sustainable development is a highly topical one, being intensively studied by specialists both in terms of its impact on biodiversity and on the protection of non-renewable resources, and in terms of its economic and social impact. The authors aim to quantify the impact of water security on economic and social development based on a new structural equation model and identify changes in the latent variable Water Security Index. (WSI), economic development (ED) and social development (SD) dynamics over the period 2000–2022 for the 27 EU Member States. The methodology is based on the use of structural equation systems and the use of the Independent-Samples Kruskal-Wallis Test to identify the influences of water security measures on economic and social indicators and to assess regional disparities of environmental policy development in relation to economic and social development. The research results will highlight the level of homogeneity of regional water security clusters in Europe and the influence of this approach on economic and social disparities. The results of the study highlight the significant correlation between population density, pollution levels and the costs associated with maintaining water quality. The study shows that high population density and high pollution levels disproportionately increase the financial burden of water quality management. In addition, the analysis highlights the social ramifications of neglecting the sustainability of water sources, particularly in regions experiencing low economic growth. In such scenarios, the negative social impact intensifies, highlighting the importance of sustainable practices. The results allow the formulation of the following public policies: Standardization of the national water quality management framework in line with the European framework; Establishment of organizations to monitor the safety of water sources and the health of the local population; Continuation of innovations in the field of water environment protection; Promotion of social responsibility towards the aquatic environment; Continuation of the process of improving water management governance. The results are useful for economic, environmental and social policy makers to optimise European sustainable development strategies. • The research introduces a new approach regarding the quantifying the impact of water security on economic and social development. • The methodology is based on the use of structural equation systems and the Independent-Samples Kruskal-Wallis Test. • The statistical analysis covers 2000–2022, the period representative as duration and which includes the impact of COVID-19 on the society. • The research results will highlight the level of homogeneity of regional water security clusters in Europe and the influence of this approach on economic and social disparities. • The results are useful for economic, environmental and social policy makers to optimise European sustainable development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and regional income inequality in a spatial econometric perspective. The role of space in the measure of inequality is discussed, and a new theoretical model that relates inequality with economic growth is introduced. The proposed model extends a spatial Mankiw–Romer–Weil specification by introducing regional income inequality as a determinant of economic growth. The measure of inequality proposed as a covariate in the model is derived by a spatial decomposition of the Gini index. An empirical analysis focused on European Union NUTS-2 regions is carried out to illustrate the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes violence in Guerrero, Mexico, and its socioeconomic, political, and emotional consequences on the population. It highlights Guerrero's marginalization in the country's political and economic decisions, as well as the power struggle for economic and political control by the ruling elites. It mentions the increase in state violence, the closure of businesses and schools, land abandonment, and forced displacement of people. It also points out the social and regional inequality in the state's economic development, as well as the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few businessmen. Violence in Mexico is related to social inequality, wealth concentration, corruption, and discrimination. Violence in Mexico is a multifactorial problem that requires public attention regarding the mental health conditions of the population. [Extracted from the article]

In the present study the authors examined the spatial disparities of the Visegrad four countries to see whether the lasting cooperation of the four countries resulted in harmonious economic development or increasing gaps between the years 2000 and 2018. Based on the research results it can be concluded that regional disparities between core and periphery regions of V4 countries still have not been eliminated to a significant extent. Despite the fact that the Visegrad Group has been in the EU for 18 years, the catching-up of its regions occurred with various speed, and no harmonised development can be observed within the Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]