Sussex climbs to 62nd place in economic league table.

Sussex is now the 62nd most prosperous region in Europe according to figures just released by Sussex Enterprise, the Chamber of Commerce for Sussex.  Out of 215 European regions Sussex has jumped 28 places from its last position and has now overtaken other regions such as Madrid, Hanover and Outer London.

The league table is based on figures compiled by Eurostat, the official Statistical Office of the EU, which compares the economic output (GDP per inhabitant) of the European regions.  Sussex Enterprise uses these figures to put together a league table showing the economic performance of Sussex in relation to the rest of the UK and Europe.  The latest GDP figure for Sussex is £45 billion a year, an increase of 12.5% above the previous year.

Mark Froud, Chief Executive at Sussex Enterprise said, 'This is fantastic news for Sussex businesses.  In the past 10 years Sussex has jumped from 123rd to 62nd place; an indication that local businesses are outperforming many of our UK and European neighbours.  Despite the current economic downturn these figures show that Sussex is in an excellent position to continue to thrive once we return to economic growth.'

Sussex is home to a diverse range of industries which all contribute to economic prosperity, from large manufacturers to small creative firms many are excelling in their particular fields.  Sussex also benefits from its geographical position; our proximity to London, Gatwick Airport and numerous ports provides ideal transport routes for business.

Mark continued, 'I am particularly delighted with this result as it means that Sussex Enterprise has achieved its own mission statement which is to help Sussex reach the top third most prosperous regions in Europe by 2010.  Regions in the top third are those in positions 1 to 71, with Sussex now in 62nd position we have steamed ahead in recent years.  Sussex Enterprise works with thousands of companies each year by offering guidance and advice on all aspects of running a business.  We also campaign on behalf of local firms to improve the business environment and encourage economic growth.'

Sussex Enterprise 5th June 2009