Changing and continuous patterns of regional development disparities in Hungary, 1910-2022

Our research aims to shed light on the longterm transformation of territorial development disparities in Hungary between 1910 and 2022.Based on statistical data, cross-sectional development indices were built for the years 1910, 1970, 2001, 2011 and 2022.In order to compare the changing spatial patterns of development in different eras, the analysis was carried out based on today's local administrative units (174 LAU 1 districts).Besides mapping the regional differences, the role of north-south, eastwest and core-periphery divide was also measured.Our study revealed that a large proportion of well-off regions (the districts surrounding Budapest, county seats and their hinterlands, and some Transdanubian districts) had been the most prosperous territories throughout the whole period analysed.Continuity is also apparent in the position of the north-east zone of Hungary and the middle part of the Tisza region; the districts located in these regions have always been the least developed.A small number of emerging and declining districts can also be detected, however, the changes that were brought about by different state policies and broader economic transformations over the last 110 years seem to be rather limited and often temporary.