Why regions matter - developing regional economic growth

An economic region is a district or administrative division of a city or territory that is designed according to some material distributive or productive criteria.

There are 362 large regions equivalent to 1794 small regions in the OECD.

Regional development

‌‌Regional development is concerned with reducing regional disparities by supporting  economic activities in regions. 

Regional innovation

Innovation is an increasing source of growth in the OECD and  regions play a key role in untapping this potential for national growth.

Urban development

Cities are important generators of wealth, employment and productivity growth and play a leading role in national economies.

‌Rural development

Rural regions account for 75% of land and almost 25% of the population in OECD countries and require a wide range of economic policies for growth.

Multi-level governance

‌Striking a balance between the interests, capacities and objectives of national and sub-national levels is essential for effective public policy.

Statistics and indicators

‌The OECD has developed statistical databases to answer the increasing demand for statistical information at the regional level.