Spatial concentration and regional disparities in small and medium entrepreneurship development: Evidence from the Republic of Belarus, 2019–2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68081/0rd92m16Keywords:
small and medium entrepreneurship; regional development; spatial concentration; regional disparities; BelarusAbstract
This article investigates regional disparities in the development of small and medium entrepreneurship (SME) in the Republic of Belarus over the period 2019–2024, with particular attention to the alignment between observed SME dynamics and the regional development priorities set out in the Program of Social and Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus for 2026–2030. Using official statistical data from the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus on the gross value added (GVA) generated by micro-, small-, and medium-sized organizations and by individual entrepreneurs, the study applies economic-statistical analysis, comparative analysis, and descriptive synthesis at both the regional and district levels to assess how SME activity has evolved since the conclusion of the previous socio-economic development cycle. The analysis shows that regional SME development in Belarus is characterized by high spatial concentration: Minsk and the Minsk region account for a disproportionate share of SME gross value added, while the remaining regions display considerable internal heterogeneity, with regional-level performance driven less by uniform regional trends than by the presence or absence of a small number of high-performing districts. A subset of districts associated with large anchor enterprises or favorable logistics, most notably in the Vitebsk region, shows improvement even where broader regional indicators are declining, whereas a substantial number of peripheral districts, including several named as priorities in the Program of Social and Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus for 2026–2030, show worse performance in 2024 than in 2015 or 2019. These findings indicate only partial alignment between the Program's designated priority districts and the districts that have, in practice, achieved positive SME dynamics. The study concludes that the spatial concentration of SME activity in Belarus reflects not only population density and administrative status, but also the presence of anchor enterprises, logistical accessibility, and the institutional capacity of local authorities, and it offers an empirical basis for refining regional SME support measures within the Program.
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