A Comparative Analysis of Rural–Urban Disparities in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries in the Context of Global Transformations

Madalina Laura Ionescu, Rudy Ujang, Mihalcea Viorel Mihai, Irene Papadopol and Izzat Al-Hadi Razali
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Madalina Laura Ionescu: School of Advanced Studies of the Romanian Academy – SCOSAAR, National Institute for Economic Research “Costin C. Kiriţescu”, Romanian Academy, Romania
Rudy Ujang: Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak Branch, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
Mihalcea Viorel Mihai: Doctoral School of Economics II, Faculty of Agrifood and Environmental Economics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Irene Papadopol: Doctoral School of Economics II, Faculty of Agrifood and Environmental Economics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Izzat Al-Hadi Razali: Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak Branch, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Malaysia

Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Studies, 2026, issue 1, 217-229

Abstract: This paper analyzes the relationship between the degree of urbanization and the main dimensions of quality of life in Central and Eastern European countries, using a set of secondary statistical indicators from the Eurostat database for the period 2021–2024. The research is based on a descriptive-analytical and comparative approach, structured according to the DEGURBA Level 2 classification, which distinguishes between municipalities, cities, and suburbs, as well as rural areas. The indicators analyzed focus on access to basic services (education), road mobility performance, housing structure, housing cost pressure, and subjective life satisfaction. The results highlight the existence of clear rural–urban gradients, particularly regarding mobility and housing typology, with high accessibility to primary education in most of the analyzed countries, but with visible differences in dispersed rural areas. The conclusions underscore the existence of relatively stable territorial patterns, marked by historical and structural characteristics common to the region, but also by internal contrasts specific to each country.

Keywords: degree of urbanization; quality of life; territorial mobility; housing; life satisfaction; Central and Eastern Europe; rural–urban (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ddj:ejards:y:2026:i:1:p:217-229

DOI: 10.35219/jards.2026.1.14

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