The Capital Effect

According to the well-worn phrase, all roads lead to Rome. A capital city being the heart of a nation, or an empire, is certainly nothing new - but as economies and societies evolve to meet modern demands and challenges, to what degree are these traditional centres of economic power crucial to the prosperity of a country?

Recent analysis of European countries by the German think tank Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft shows the percentage change to GDP per capita that would occur if the capital city was removed from the calculation. The results vary greatly by country with the largest impact being seen in Greece. If Athens were to be taken out of the Greek economy, GDP per capita would suffer to the tune of 19.9 percent.

Not too far behind would be France and Paris - there a 15 percent fall. In the UK, an independent London would shrink GDP by 11.2 percent. Uniquely, Berlin being removed from the German economy would lead to a 0.2 percent rise.

This infographic was recently featured on City A.M.