Abstract:

This study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of the present economic crisis produced by the COVID-19 pandemic across regions, in the context of regional variances in levels of development. The examination involved regions of Germany and Poland. The following research methods were used: literature studies, descriptive statistics, the Hellwig’s development measure method, and ANOVA one-way analysis of variance. The most significant finding of the study was as follows: at the present stage of the pandemic, the negative economic effects of the crisis are most profound for regions characterized by a higher level of development, compared to those in less advanced regions. The study presents an important contribution to the economic knowledge of crises, supplemented by detailed analyses of global economic trends produced in response to the pandemic threat. The most important limitation of the study is the preliminary character of the empirical observations made – a direct result of the limited availability of formal statistics and the relatively short time window of the present crisis. Future analyses may be supplemented by a wider selection of regions and factors under examination over longer periods, to ensure effective verification of the preliminary findings. The research results may serve to support governmental activities at different levels of administration in the effective planning of regional socio-economic development, including those made in anticipation of various crisis phenomena. The originality and value of the study: the analysis is a pioneering attempt at evaluating the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across regions.