People in inner London are the richest in the European Union, while the poorest live in regions in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, according to figures published on Tuesday by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office.

The regional variations in the survey were based on 2005 gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant data and in the EU27's 271 regions they ranged from 24% of the EU27 average in the region of Nord-Est in Romania, to 303% of the average in Inner London in the United Kingdom.

The three leading regions in the ranking of regional GDP per inhabitant in 2005 were Inner London in the United Kingdom (303% of the average), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (264%) and Bruxelles/Brussels in Belgium (241%).

Among the 42 regions exceeding the 125% level, eight were in Germany, five each in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, four each in Italy and Austria, three each in Belgium and Spain, two in Finland, one region each in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, France, Slovakia and Sweden, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The fifteen lowest regions in the ranking were all in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, with the lowest figures recorded in Nord-Est in Romania (24% of the average), followed by Severozapaden and Yuzhen tsentralen in Bulgaria (both 27%).

Among the 69 regions below the 75% level, fifteen were in Poland, eight in Romania, seven in the Czech Republic, six each in Bulgaria, Greece and Hungary, five in Italy, four in Portugal, three each in France (all overseas departments) and Slovakia, one region each in Germany, Spain and Slovenia, and Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Eurostat warned that the GDP per inhabitant figures can be strongly influenced by commuter flows.

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