ECONOMIC POLARIZATION ACROSS EUROPEAN UNION REGIONS IN THE YEARS 2007-2012 AT NUTS 2 LEVEL.

The aim of this paper is to study the economic polarization in countries of the EU at NUTS 2 level in the years 2007-2012. The studies have to decide on positive or negative verification of the hypothesis, which states that the economic crisis of 2008-2013 had an influence on rising economic polarization in EU countries. The method used in this article is an application of some measures of economic polarization and inequality of income distribution. The carried out research did not allow for the positive verification of the hypothesis. Only in a few countries did the economic crisis have an influence on a reduction of the middle class. In most cases the economic collapse did not play any role in the raising of the economic polarization index. The statistical data used in this paper was taken from the following databases: Statistical Yearbook of the Regions - Poland from 2009 to 2013 and Eurostat - Regional statistics by NUTS classification*. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]