Diversity in the European Union in Terms of Inclusive Development

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to examine the diversity among the EU countries in the context of inclusive development. The hypothesis states that there is a significant disparity between old and new member states. The paper contains a brief look at the key definitions connected with inclusive development, a review of its measures, and the results of the research based on the Inclusive Development Index (IDI) provided by the World Economic Forum. The research was conducted for 29 countries (the EU without Cyprus and Malta, and additionally Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland), on the basis of data published in 2018, and with the usage of cluster analysis. The main conclusion is that there is a significant difference on the minus side between new entrants and Western and Northern Europe, and on plus as regards Southern Europe.