Francesco Chiaradia

Department of Business Studies,

Roma Tre University, Italy

francesco.chiaradia@uniroma3.it

ORCID 0009-0000-6059-7206

Energy poverty and socioeconomic profiles: A case study of NUTS 2 regions in Italy, Lithuania and Poland using cluster analysis and mapping

Katarzyna Chudy-Laskowska

Department of Quantitative Methods,

Rzeszow University of Technology,

Poland

kacha877@prz.edu.pl

ORCID 0000-0002-7797-2858

Keti Lelo

Department of Business Studies,

Roma Tre University,

Italy

keti.lelo@uniroma3.it

ORCID 0000-0002-2009-3772

Pawel Walawender

Institute of Sociology, Cognitive Science and Philosophy,

University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, 

Poland

pawel.walawender@uken.krakow.pl 

ORCID 0000-0003-4573-5759

Abstract. This article analyses energy poverty from a regional perspective, focusing on NUTS 2 regions of Italy, Lithuania and Poland. It proposes a joint taxonomy of territorial profiles that combines a direct indicator of energy deprivation with macro-level socio-economic variables capturing affordability, social vulnerability, human capital, labour-market conditions and the dynamics of the productive structure. Using hierarchical cluster analysis and cartographic representation, the study identifies four regional profiles of energy deprivation and socio-economic context and assesses whether they primarily reflect within-country territorial gradients or cross-border similarities. The resulting taxonomy is largely country-structured, with limited cross-border overlap. High deprivation emerges in two distinct configurations: one associated with broader income and labour-market fragilities and one persisting despite comparatively favourable socio-economic fundamentals, pointing to the potential relevance of needs and system factors. The proposed taxonomy provides a concise tool to jointly interpret energy deprivation and socio-economic conditions at the NUTS 2 level and to inform place-sensitive policy interventions.

Received: May, 2025

1st Revision: March, 2026

Accepted: April, 2026

DOI: 10.14254/2071-8330.2026/19-1/1

JEL Classification: Q41, I32, R12

Keywords: European NUTS 2 regions, energy, inequalities, mapping