Analyzing socio-economic development and energy dynamics across Polish voivodeships

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of the article is to examine whether there are correlations between the level of socio-economic development of the voivodeships and energy prices as well as the amount of energy (coal, electricity and gas) consumed by households in the period from 1999 to 2022.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The data source for the performed analysis is the Local Data Bank of Statistics of Poland. A taxonomic analysis, a non-pattern method, was used for the study. Seventeen variables were analysed over the study period. They were divided into development variables: economic (3 variables), social (8 variables) and technical (6 variables).

FINDINGS: It was observed that with the increase in the level of socio-economic development, energy prices and the amount of consumed energy increased. The social component of the level of socio-economic development shows a decrease in energy prices as the social level increases. In the case of the economic and technical components, an increase in that level is observed. When analysing the amount of consumed energy, an increase in energy consumption with the increase in the level of socio-economic development is noticed. Furthermore, in the case of electricity, the index of the dynamics of energy consumption decreases as the level of socio-economic development of the voivodeships increases.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of the study can be used as recommendations for regional development policies based on energy sources, depending on the level of development of individual Polish voivodeships.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Based on the conducted analysis, an increase in the level of socioeconomic development in the period under review was found.