Summary

The 2011 results regarding the overall index of regional development show that six out of the 30 Portuguese NUTS 3 level regions exceeded the national average: Grande Lisboa, Grande Porto, Cávado, Baixo Vouga, Minho-Lima and Serra da Estrela. Baixo Vouga (Centro NUTS 2 region), Grande Lisboa (Lisboa NUTS 2 region) and Grande Porto (Norte NUTS 2 region) had a score above the national average in the competitiveness and cohesion indexes. Cávado, Minho-Lima (both in the Norte NUTS 2 region) and Serra da Estrela (Centro NUTS 2 region) showed records above the national average in the cohesion and in the environmental quality indexes.
In the competitiveness index, the more favourable performances belonged to the metropolitan territories centred in Lisbon and in Porto, in contrast with particularly with the inner mainland. Grande Lisboa was the leading region in the competitiveness ranking.
As for cohesion, the index displays a more balanced country than the one resulting from the competitiveness index, with the mainland centre sub-regions showing more cohesion than the inner Northern and Southern sub-regions and the autonomous regions. The leading region in the ranking of the cohesion index was Baixo Mondego.
In the environmental quality index, the results suggest a reversed territorial pattern in relation to competitiveness as the inner mainland showed, in general, better environmental quality. Serra da Estrela was the leading region with regard to the environmental quality index.