Westmeath workers have the highest disposable income per person in the Midlands, but some of the lowest incomes when compared with the rest of the country.
According to new figures released by the Central Statistics Office for 2006, the average disposable income per person in Westmeath was €19,046. This compares with an average of €18,730 for the four Midland counties. Longford also beat the average for the Midlands, while Laois and Offaly fall short.
However, when compared with the wider Border, Midland and Western region and the rest of the country, Westmeath does not fare so well. Disposable incomes in the county failed to reach the average of €18,965 for the BMW region, and were lower than incomes in any of the Southern and Eastern region, including Dublin, and the national average disposable income of €20,678.
The disposable income per person in Dublin in 2006 was €23,226, the highest in the country. Overall, these latest figures show that the income of Midland workers was 9.4 per cent below the State average, while Dublin workers earned 12.3 per cent above the national average. There was a substantial gap of 20 per cent between the two regions.
In Westmeath, disposable income per person increased by €5,901 between 2000 and 2006.
