Assessment of the Level of Economic Development of Rural Areas of Northern Poland

The article describes the level of economic development of rural areas of Northern Poland in four voivodeships: Zachodniopomorskie, Pomorskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Warmiisko-Mazurskie. and analyses the processes of internal (regional) convergence and divergence. To analyse convergence the divergence factor was used, and to assess the level of economic development - the synthetic Wojewodzic indicator. The indicators were calculated on the basis of the Regional Data Bank for the year 2011. The level of development and the processes of convergence and divergence are analysed by territorial units at the level of NUTS-4 (poviats). The analysis of regional disparities (divergence) was determined by the rate of unemployment. Spatial analysis of the level of regional development was based on the following indicators: the level of unemployment, as well as entrepreneurship and the income level of the inhabitants.