An Assessment of Regional Disparities Evolution in Romania

This paper studies the level and evolution of regional disparities in Romania over the period 2007-2017. In this respect, we employ two methodologies highly relevant and wellestablished in the literature: (i) the relative distance method and (ii) the cluster analysis. The results of the empirical analysis indicate a major discrepancy between the Bucharest-Ilfov region and all the other seven development regions. During the analysis period, there are no significant changes in the positioning of the regions. Regional disparities were not reduced over the period considered, although there are European and national programs for this matter. Therefore, we conclude that an efficient public sector should consolidate the regional disparities with the EU Cohesion Policy.