In 2021, there was an increase, compared to the previous year, in the territorial disparity of the results of the competitiveness index - reaching the highest value of the entire series - and of the cohesion index, standing out, in this dimension, the evolution registered in the coefficient of variation: 6.6% in 2020 and 7.1% in 2021.

In 2021, according to the regional development composite index, five out of the 25 NUTS 3 sub-regions stood above the national average in terms of the overall regional development – the metropolitan areas of Lisboa (106.06) and Porto (103.32), Cávado (101.36), Região de Aveiro (101.22) and Região de Coimbra (100.39).

In the competitiveness index only four sub-regions stood above the national average: Área Metropolitana de Lisboa (113.17), standing out from Região de Aveiro (106.88), Área Metropolitana do Porto (106.10) and Alentejo Litoral (101.80). The competitiveness revealed the highest disparity among the three dimensions of regional development.

In the cohesion index, eight NUTS 3, mostly from the mainland coast, stood above the national average. In this dimension, Região de Coimbra (106.66), Cávado (106.21) and Área Metropolitana de Lisboa (105.79) stood out with the highest values.

The environmental index results highlight the inner mainland sub-regions and the two autonomous regions with higher values. The national average was exceeded by 16 NUTS 3, with a regional disparity lower than the one observed for competitiveness and cohesion. Terras de Trás-os-Montes (112.49) was the sub-region with the highest score in the environmental index.