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What Does The Human Development Index Tell Us About Convergence?

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  • KONYA, Laszlo
  • GUISAN, Maria-Carmen

Abstract

This study seeks to find out whether there existed an empirically discernable and robust tendency in the world for countries to converge in terms of human development over the last three decades. Human development is measured by the Human Development Index trend and convergence across countries is tested for by the conventional cross-country methods of ?- and ?-convergence. We perform similar analyses on those countries that joined the European Union before its 2004 enlargement and on all current members of the EU too. Our results indicate convergence for all three groups of countries we consider, that is relatively backward countries managed to increase their HDI more than developed countries.

Suggested Citation

  • KONYA, Laszlo & GUISAN, Maria-Carmen, 2008. "What Does The Human Development Index Tell Us About Convergence?," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 8(1), pages 19-40.
    • Handle: RePEc:eaa:aeinde:v:8:y:2008:i:1_2
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    3. Simplice Asongu, 2015. "Rational Asymmetric Development, Piketty and the Spirit of Poverty in Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 15/006, African Governance and Development Institute..
    4. G rkemli Kazar & Altu Kazar, 2015. "Is Harmonious Development Valid for European Union Regions?," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 5(4), pages 954-967.
    5. Simplice Asongu, 2014. "African Development: Beyond Income Convergence," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 82(3), pages 334-353, September.
    6. Simplice A. Asongu & Ivo J. Leke, 2019. "External flows and inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(1), pages 33-56.
    7. Stephen G. GRUBAUGH, 2015. "Economic Growth And Growth In Human Development," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 15(2), pages 5-16.
    8. Carlos Mendez & Felipe Santos-Marquez, 2022. "Economic and Social Disparities across Subnational Regions of South America: A Spatial Convergence Approach," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 64(4), pages 582-605, December.
    9. Bienvenido Ortega & Antonio Casquero & Jesús Sanjuán, 2016. "Corruption and Convergence in Human Development: Evidence from 69 Countries During 1990–2012," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 691-719, June.
    10. Ciprian Ionel Turturean & Ciprian Chirilă & Viorica Chirilă, 2022. "The Convergence in the Sustainability of the Economies of the European Union Countries between 2006 and 2016," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-34, August.
    11. Martin Dluhoš & Jozef Gajdoš & Zuzana Hajduová, 2019. "Reálna konvergencia logistickej výkonnosti krajín sveta, EÚ a V4 [Real Convergence of Logistics Performance of Countries of the World, EU and V4]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2019(4), pages 406-425.
    12. WARBURTON,Christopher E.S., 2019. "Human Capital, Divergent Opportunities, And Development In The Us," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 19(1), pages 5-28.
    13. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2016. "Rational Asymmetric Development, Piketty and Poverty in Africa," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 13(2), pages 221-246, December.
    14. GUISAN, Maria-Carmen, 2015. "Selected Readings On Econometrics Methodology, 2001-2010: Causality, Measure Of Variables, Dynamic Models And Economic Approaches To Growth And Development," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 15(2), pages 213-220.
    15. Jesús Peiró-Palomino, 2019. "Regional well-being in the OECD," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 17(2), pages 195-218, June.
    16. Iulia Andreea BUCUR & Oana Ancuta STANGACIU, 2015. "The European Union Convergence In Terms Of Economic And Human Development," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 7(2), pages 256-275, August.
    17. ESCOBARI, Diego, 2011. "Testing for Stochastic and Beta-convergence in Latin American Countries," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 11(2).
    18. Jiří Anděl & Ivan Bičík & Jan Daniel Bláha, 2022. "Makroregionální divergenční a konvergenční trendy světové ekonomiky [Macro-regional Divergent and Convergent Trends in the Global Economy]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2022(1), pages 77-96.
    19. KETKO, Nataliya & MOROZOVA, Irina & DYSHLOVOI, Igor & VOLKOV, Sergey & AKIMOVA, Olga & KOZLOVA, Elena, 2020. "Study Of Peculiarities And Regularities Of Dynamics Of Human Development Index In Russia," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 20(2), pages 89-98.
    20. Vanesa Jordá & José Sarabia, 2015. "International Convergence in Well-Being Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 1-27, January.
    21. Francesco Maria Chelli & Barbara Ermini & Mauro Gallegati & Andrea Gentili, 2023. "Investigating Regional Disparities in Italy’s Well-Being Since Unification (1871–2011)," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(2), pages 697-722, July.
    22. Jordá , Vanesa & Trueba, Carmen & Sarabia, Jose Maria, 2014. "Análisis multidimensional de la desigualdad en el marco del desarrollo humano/Multidimensional Analysis of Inequality under the Human Development Framework," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 32, pages 765-788, Mayo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Convergence; Human Development;

    JEL classification:

    • B23 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Econometrics; Quantitative and Mathematical Studies
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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