Summary
The results for 2010 regarding the overall index of regional development show that five NUTS 3 level regions stood above the national average: Grande Lisboa (Lisboa NUTS 2 region), Cávado (Norte NUTS 2 region), Baixo Vouga (Centro NUTS 2 region), Minho-Lima and Grande Porto (both belonging to the Norte NUTS 2 region). The performance of the NUTS level 3 region Grande Lisboa, clearly more positive than all the others, results from a position above the national average in the three components of development in which the overall index of regional development is structured – competitiveness, cohesion and environmental quality.
Regarding competitiveness, four regions scored above the national average: Grande Lisboa, in a clear way, Grande Porto, Baixo Vouga and Ave. In this index, the more favourable performances belonged to the metropolitan territories centred in Lisbon (Grande Lisboa and Península de Setúbal) and in Porto, spreading, in this last case, to the sub-regional valleys (Grande Porto, Baixo Vouga, Ave, Entre Douro e Vouga and Cávado). As for cohesion, the index displays a more balanced country than the one resulting from the competitiveness index – nearly half of the regions showing a performance above the national threshold and, at the same time, the regional variability was below the one observed for competitiveness – with the Mainland centre sub-regions showing more cohesion than the Northern and Southern sub-regions and the autonomous regions. In what concerns environmental quality, the results suggest a reversed territorial pattern in relation to competitiveness – the inland Mainland showing, in general, more environmental quality. The regional dispersion was lower than for the two other components. Serra da Estrela was the region with the higher environmental quality.