Mapping Three Decades of Regional Economics in Developed and Developing Countries with Future Insight

Subject and purpose of the work This study seeks to analyse trends in regional economic studies comprehensively with a focus on future directions for both developed and developing countries. Materials and methods This research uses a bibliometric approach by analysing regional economic topics in the period 1995-2025 sourced from the Scopus database. Results Regional economic research shows a positive fluctuating growth of 1.36% annually. The United States emerges as the leading contributor. Themes increasingly center on sustainability, regional development, and socio-economics. The field is dominated by milieu innovateur, indicating a strong shift toward innovation and sustainability. Conclusions The potential development of future regional economic research lies in integrating evolutionary models, sustainability and socio-economic. For developed countries, future research should emphasize on innovative regional economic models. Developing countries focus on applying models that address macroeconomic challenges. Policy development aim to enhance participatory and sustainable regional economic planning.