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Human Capital and the Convergence Process Among Countries

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  • Elias Soukiazis
  • Túlio Cravo

Abstract

This paper examines the convergence process across countries for the period 1980–2000, giving special attention to the role of human capital as a conditioning factor. The originality of the study is in the use of new proxies for human capital, such as publications and patents ratio and the patents/articles ratio which reflect the efficiency of the scientific work, in contrast to the quantitative measures usually used in the growth literature. The analysis suggests that: (i) convergence is conditional on structural factors, population growth, human and physical capital; (ii) the new proxies of human capital control fairly well the different steady‐states among countries; (iii) the different levels of human capital affect countries differently, according to their levels of development. Higher levels of human capital are suitable to differentiate the convergence process among developed countries, and basic or intermediate levels are more suitable to differentiate convergence among the less developed countries.

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  • Elias Soukiazis & Túlio Cravo, 2008. "Human Capital and the Convergence Process Among Countries," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(1), pages 124-142, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:rdevec:v:12:y:2008:i:1:p:124-142
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9361.2008.00438.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Xiaobei & Li, Haizheng & Wang, Xiaojun & Fleisher, Belton M., 2019. "Human Capital and the Economic Convergence Mechanism: Evidence from China," IZA Discussion Papers 12224, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Ana Poças & Elias Soukiazis, 2010. "Health Status Determinants in the OECD Countries. A Panel Data Approach with Endogenous Regressors," GEMF Working Papers 2010-04, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    3. Jonathon Adams-Kane & Jamus Jerome Lim, 2016. "Institutional Quality Mediates the Effect of Human Capital on Economic Performance," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 426-442, May.
    4. Zhang, Xiaobei & Wang, Xiaojun, 2021. "Measures of human capital and the mechanics of economic growth," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    5. Fátima Diniz & Elias Soukiazis, 2015. "Economies to Scale and the Importance of Human Capital in the Moulds Industry in Portugal: A Micro Panel Data Approach," GEMF Working Papers 2015-11, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    6. Ayhan KULOĞLU & Eyyup ECEVİT, 2017. "The Relationship Between Health Development Index And Financial Development Index: Evidence From High Income Countries," Journal of Research in Economics, Politics & Finance, Ersan ERSOY, vol. 2(2), pages 83-95.
    7. Tulio Antonio Cravo & Elias Soukiazis, 2009. "Educational Thresholds and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Brazilian States," Working Papers 2009.1, International Network for Economic Research - INFER.

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