Are rural households poorer than non-rural households in Europe?

Abstract

A significant amount of political support is directed towards promoting the development of rural areas in Europe. One reason is that rural households are perceived as having a lower income than non-rural ones. However, empirical evidence on the income differential between rural and non-rural areas in Europe is hard to find and incomplete. The present study aims to fill this gap by answering the following research questions: is there an income gap between rural and non-rural households in Europe? If so, what is its magnitude, and does this gap vary based on the country's income level? Does the inclusion of non-monetary sources of income contribute to mitigating the extent of this gap? (...)