Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Eastern Europe is less developed than western Europe. Several factors make the countries in eastern Europe poor as compared to the countries situated in Western Europe. There were countries in eastern Europe that were backward. The reason behind the less development on the eastern side is that it was occupied by or vassal to the Ottomans. Some religious and cultural reasons made the countries located in the east poor.
Romania Is Europe’s Poorest CountryThe Vikings Were Responsible For The Western European Countries DevelopmentMore VC activity in Western EuropeStartups Are Visionary In Western Europe And More Pragmatic In Eastern Europe.
Romania Is Europe’s Poorest Country
In the past, there were countries in Europe that were considered to be advanced according to the European standard. It is hard to describe a country as poor when it comes to determining it at a global level.
Romania is considered to be one of the poorest countries in Europe. It is located in Eastern Europe and most people living in the country are middle class. Most people living in the country life as average people. Most apartments in Romania are 120 square meters.
The houses in the countryside are a little away from the city. People can afford to go on holidays either within Romania or to other neighboring countries. However, some people cannot afford to go on an expensive holiday somewhere farther away. The University is free and the healthcare is practically free as well.
The Vikings Were Responsible For The Western European Countries Development
The only reason people perceive Eastern Europe as poor is that the comparison is made with some of the richest countries in the world. In 900 some divergence occurred between Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Before that incident, Western and Eastern Europe were similar in prosperity. Both of them had only one factor holding them back. It was the foreign invaders that restricted their development. significantly holding them back: foreign invaders.
For Western Europe, it was the Scandinavian Vikings who wanted to take over the river cities and traffic. The Vikings have also become successful in disrupting river traffic in the Western European nations. They could scarcely use their rivers to trade. It was a fact that Western Europe had one of the best economic systems. This is why the Vikings robbed Western Europe as they were after their prosperity. This resulted in Western European countries working harder to maintain their economy.
More VC activity in Western Europe
It is no big surprise that VC activities in Western Europe are on a rise even in this decade. The VC activity in Western Europe is more strong than in Eastern Europe. Countries located in Western Europe have more developed economies. They also have a higher level of income per capita.
This is the reason why more money is available for entrepreneurs to use for their business plans. More established businessmen live in Western Europe as they have a bigger scope to achieve their business goals. Many aspiring entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe are also moving to the western startup hubs as they want to boost their chances of securing funding.
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Startups Are Visionary In Western Europe And More Pragmatic In Eastern Europe.
VC funding is more available in Western Europe. This is why the entrepreneurs in that region have a lot of good opportunities to sell the vision of a product. Businessmen living in Western Europe have similar business plans to the U.S. Western European countries are more progressive as they have got more opportunities to flourish.
When it comes to Eastern Europeans they have to sell their products fully and without any promotion. People living in eastern Europe are conservative when it comes to the products in Eastern Europe. There is an underlying distrust that comes out from the region’s long history of dishonest business practices carried out in the past.
When it comes to Eastern European startups are much more pragmatic. They are more focused on the specific things that can bring money right now. Western European startups are more visionary and they are more concerned about long-term strategy. You can consider a few of Eastern Europe’s unicorns and take them as an example.
The social media apps like Skype, Prezi, and Avast were created as pragmatic solutions and they were aimed at solving common problems. Western Europe’s unicorns, like Spotify and Mindmaze, were designed to wrestle the more complex issues.
Ironically, Eastern European IT companies are expected to diversify later because the region’s characteristically small markets are not that active. Western European startups are always ready to grab every single opportunity because they want to work in the larger market.
Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
FAQs
Eastern Europe was poor and backward because like the American south they had mostly a barter economy rather than a monetary economy. Also, enlightenment thinking did not reach into Eastern Europe as it did in the west. Another factor is that people with wealth and power do not give it up willingly.
Why is Western Europe more advanced than Eastern Europe? ›
The East did not see the need to improve on their inventions and thus from experience, focused on their past successes. While they did this, the West was focused more on experimentation and trial by error, which led them to come up with new and different ways to improve on existing innovations and create new ones.
Which is more developed Western Europe or Eastern Europe? ›
The term is sometimes considered to be pejorative, through stereotypes about Eastern Europe being inferior (poorer, less developed) to Western Europe; the term Central and Eastern Europe is sometimes used for a more neutral grouping.
What is the least developed part of Europe? ›
- 1- Ukraine. Ukraine is currently facing significant economic challenges that have contributed to its status as the poorest country in Europe in 2024. ...
- 2- Moldova. Moldova is currently the second poorest country in Europe as of 2024. ...
- 3- North Macedonia. ...
- 4- Albania. ...
- 5- Belarus. ...
- 6-Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...
- 7- Serbia. ...
- 8- Montenegro.
Countries in Western Europe had economically liberalized far earlier than other countries on the continent. Many countries in Eastern Europe were part of, or within the sphere of influence of, the Soviet Union, with centrally-planned economies, which stagnated development in the subregion.
Why is the East poorer than the West? ›
Researchers have found that it's due to the impact of air pollutants at the time of the Industrial Revolution, as prevailing winds in the U.S. and Europe typically blow from west to east. And it's an impact that has lasted into today.
What is the most advanced country in Europe? ›
In 2022, Finland was the European country with the highest score on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), ranking first in the human capital component thanks to the advanced digital skills of its citizens. Denmark ranked first for its connectivity.
Why did Western Europe develop faster than the rest of the world? ›
Decisions in Europe largely determined global events for centuries. The other continents did not approach European power until after World War 1 or World War 2. Europe consisted of constantly competing nations, and this competition spurred development.
When did Western Europe surpass Eastern Europe? ›
I would say the 12th century was when Western Europe reach some parity and surpass the Eastern Roman Empire in other fields. The Normans could already defeat the Eastern Roman Empire in the 11th century, while the earlier Carolingian Empire cannot defeat the Roman.
Which country has the best economy in Europe? ›
Germany's economy has consistently had the largest economy in Europe since 1980, even before the reunification of West and East Germany. The United Kingdom, by contrast, has had mixed fortunes during the same time period and had a smaller economy than Italy in the late 1980s.
1. Luxembourg. Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in Europe. With a population of around 650,000, it boasts a remarkable GDP per capita of over $115,000, making it the highest in the world as of 2022.
What is the fastest developing country in Europe? ›
The fastest growing economy in Europe in 2023 was Montenegro. The small Balkan country's gross domestic product grew at 4.5 percent in 2023, beating out Turkey which had a growth rate of four percent and Malta which had a rate of 3.8 percent in the same year.
What is the poorest country in Eastern Europe? ›
Despite having the highest GDP growth rate in Europe, Moldova is among its poorest states, and also has Europe's smallest GDP per capita.
What is the least wealthy country in Europe? ›
1. Ukraine. With a per capita GNI of $3,540, Ukraine is the poorest country in Europe as of 2020. Ukraine once had the second-largest economy in the USSR.
What is the poorest white country? ›
Ukraine is the poorest European country now, with a GDP per capita lower than Moldova, at $4,596. Moldova, by the way, is now at $5,563, slightly higher than Guatemala.
Why is Western Europe so rich? ›
The most common explanation for why colonization made Western Europe rich is exploitation. The colonial powers exploited the natural resources of their colonies. These included precious metals (South America), rubber (Congo), spices and sugar (Indonesia), oil (Middle East), and slaves.
Why did Western European economies grow faster than Eastern European? ›
What was the Marshall Plan? This was an American initiative that promised to provide foreign aid to Western Europe and this led to a resurgence of Western European industrialization and extensive investment. Hence, the plan was behind the reason that the economies of Western European grew faster than Eastern European.
Why life expectancy is lower in Eastern Europe? ›
According to Zoltan Massay-Kosubek of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), an NGO, eastern Europe is home to more smokers and more heavy drinkers. “This is the major source of the gap,” he says.
Which is the poorest country in Europe? ›
Despite having the highest GDP growth rate in Europe, Moldova is among its poorest states, and also has Europe's smallest GDP per capita.
