Scope of the study
The paper examines the spatial and temporal evolution of interpersonal—and intraregional—income inequality across the Greek regions during 2002–2019.
Its central concern is how the income distribution and regional disparities changed before, during, and after the economic crisis, and how inequality is associated with key characteristics of regional economies.
Data and methodological approach
The analysis draws on individualised declared-income data and combines several measures and tools for examining the income distribution:
- the Gini coefficient, with bootstrap confidence intervals,
- the q20, q50 (median), and q80 income percentiles,
- comparative representations of income distributions over time and across regions,
- an examination of the association between inequality and regional GDP per capita, unemployment, and median income.
This approach enables the national trend and differentiated regional trajectories to be examined together, while avoiding a causal interpretation of the reported statistical associations.
Key findings
The results identify a clear divide between the periods before and after the economic crisis:
- before the crisis, rising median incomes were accompanied by relatively stable income inequality,
- after 2012, falling incomes coincided with a sharp rise in the Gini coefficient across all regions,
- from 2014 onwards, median incomes stabilised below their pre-crisis peak, while inequality remained persistently high,
- the national picture masks substantial differences between regions in both income levels and the intensity of inequality,
- higher regional GDP per capita is associated with lower interpersonal income inequality, while higher unemployment is consistently associated with greater inequality.
Taken together, the findings indicate a post-crisis shift in the distributional regime, characterised by lower incomes and higher intraregional inequality.
Implications for regional policy
The study underlines that regional development cannot be assessed solely in terms of aggregate economic performance. Changes in GDP per capita need to be considered alongside the way income is distributed within each region and the conditions prevailing in regional labour markets.
The findings reinforce the case for place-based and socially inclusive policies tailored to the different starting conditions, productive structures, and social realities of the Greek regions.
Suggested citation
Doukissas, L., Pantazis, P., Psycharis, Y., & Politis, K. (2026). The spatiotemporal dynamics of interpersonal income inequality: Empirical evidence from the Greek regions. Regional Science Policy & Practice, 18(9), 100334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rspp.2026.100334