Productivity gap has nearly disappeared in rural regions

Infographic of October 1, 2025

The infographic of the Weekly Report 40/2025 is entitled: “In rural regions, the productivity gap has almost disappeared.” It shows the development of productivity in eastern Germany compared to the German national average in different types of regions over the years 2004, 2014, and 2024. On the left, the types of regions are divided into two groups: Rural regions: Very peripheral Rural peripheral Rural central Densely populated peripheral Densely populated central Urban regions: Urbanized peripheral Urbanized central Large city central Metropolitan area Metropolis On the right, there are three rows of bars for the years 2004, 2014, and 2024. The bars show productivity in eastern Germany as a percentage of the German average – measured as gross value added per person employed. The graph clearly shows that productivity in rural regions of eastern Germany has converged significantly with the national average over the years, while greater differences remain in urban regions. The source is given below: “Working group on national accounts of the federal states; own calculations.” Note: “Productivity measured as gross value added at current prices per person employed.”

© DIW Berlin

Topics: Productivity , Regional economy

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