The Western Development Commission (WDC) has just published two WDC Insights: How are we doing? County Incomes in the Western Region and What’s happening in our regional economies? Growth and Change in Regional GVA.
Both of these examine data from the most recent CSO County Incomes and Regional GDP publication for 2015 (with preliminary data for 2016) and they have a particular emphasis on the counties of the Western Region and on our regional economy.
These two page WDC Insights publications provide succinct analysis and commentary on recently published data and on policy issues for the Western Region. Both of these WDC Insights are shorter versions of the series of blog posts on County Incomes and Regional GVA which you may have read previously.
How are we doing? County Incomes in the Western Region
In this WDC Insights data on County Incomes in 2015 are examined with a focus on the difference among Western Region counties and changes over time.
Five Western Region counties had Household Disposable Income per Person (Disposable Income) of less than 90% of the state average, while Galway and Sligo were both 93%. They had the highest Disposable Incomes in the Western Region in 2015 (Galway (€18,991) and Sligo (€19,001)).
Donegal continues to have a significantly lower Disposable Income than any other county in Ireland (€15,705 in 2015). Disposable Income in Roscommon was also significantly lower than the state average at €16,582 in 2015. This was the second lowest of any county in Ireland, while Mayo had the fourth lowest.
Regional divergence was at its least in 2010 when all parts of the country were significantly affected by recession. Since then, incomes in some counties have begun to grow faster and divergence has again increased, particularly since 2012.
The WDC Insights How are we doing? County Incomes in the Western Region can be downloaded here (PDF 260KB)
What’s happening in our regional economies? Growth and Change in Regional GVA
The most recent regional GVA and GDP data (for 2015 and preliminary 2016) published by the CSO is discussed in this WDC Insights with a focus on the regions which include the 
seven Western Region counties.
Between 2014 and 2015 there was very significant growth in GVA and GDP nationally (a level shift which occurred for a variety of reasons). It is therefore valuable to examine how this rapid economic growth was spread among regions. While data for the largest regions of Dublin and the South West has been suppressed by the CSO, to preserve the confidentiality, variation in growth and disparity in the other regions continues to be of national and regional importance.
The data shows that disparities are widening and economic activity, as measured by GVA, is becoming more and more concentrated. The smaller contribution to national GVA from other regions highlights their significant untapped potential.
The WDC Insights What’s happening in our regional economies? Growth and Change in Regional GVA can be downloaded here (PDF 350 KB)
If you find these WDC Insights on County Incomes and Regional GVA interesting and would like to read more detailed discussion of the data please visit these recent WDC Insights blog posts:
Leprechauns in Invisible Regions: Regional GVA (GDP) in 2015
What’s happening in our regional economies? Growth and change in Regional GVA.
How are we doing? County Incomes in the Western Region
I hope that you find these WDC Insights useful. Let us know what you think. We’d welcome your feedback.
Helen McHenry
WDC Insights 