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New evidence on the convergence of international income from a group of 29 countries

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  • John Dawson
  • Amit Sen

Abstract

This paper updates and extends the time-series evidence on the convergence of international incomes using a set of 29 countries over the period 1900-2001. Time-series tests for stochastic convergence are supplemented with tests which provide evidence on the notion of Beta-convergence predicted by the Solow model. The evidence indicates that the relative income series of 21 countries are consistent with stochastic convergence, and that Beta-convergence has occurred in at least 17 countries at some point over the 1900-2001 period. Further examination of the properties of the Beta- convergence test provides anecdotal evidence of conditional convergence during the post-war period in seven countries for which the convergence hypothesis was initially rejected. Analysis of the cross-country dispersion of incomes over time also suggests that convergence has occurred over the 1900-2001 period, with structural breaks associated with World War II in many countries causing a break in the convergence process.
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  • John Dawson & Amit Sen, 2007. "New evidence on the convergence of international income from a group of 29 countries," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 199-230, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:33:y:2007:i:2:p:199-230
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-006-0099-9
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    Cited by:

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    3. László KÓNYA, 2023. "Per Capita Income Convergence and Divergence of Selected OECD Countries to and from the US: A Reappraisal for the period 1900-2018," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 23(1), pages 33-56.
    4. Kozlova, Olesia & de Jesus Noguera, Jose, 2018. "Achievers or slackers? Per capita income trends in European countries," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1332-1345.
    5. Faiza Azhar KHAN, 2016. "Revisiting the Relationship between β and σ Convergence," Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, Applied Economics Research Centre, vol. 26(1), pages 43-52.
    6. Bah, Mohamed Siry, 2015. "Real convergence in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 19-23.
    7. King Alan & Ramlogan-Dobson Carlyn, 2014. "Are income differences within the OECD diminishing? Evidence from Fourier unit root tests," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 18(2), pages 185-199, April.
    8. Serranito, Francisco, 2013. "Heterogeneous technology and the technological catching-up hypothesis: Theory and assessment in the case of MENA countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 685-697.
    9. Omid Ranjbar & Tsangyao Chang & Chien-Chiang Lee & Zahra (Mila) Elmi, 2016. "Reopening the Convergence Debate when Sharp Breaks and Smooth Shifts Wed, 1870-2010," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 20(3), pages 356-377, Summer.
    10. Ceylan, Reşat & Abiyev, Vasif, 2016. "An examination of convergence hypothesis for EU-15 countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 96-105.
    11. Paul Johnson & Chris Papageorgiou, 2020. "What Remains of Cross-Country Convergence?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 58(1), pages 129-175, March.
    12. Marine Hadengue & Thierry Warin, 2013. "Patterns of Specialization and (Un)conditional Convergence: The Cases of Brazil, China and India," CIRANO Working Papers 2013s-17, CIRANO.
    13. Hakan SARIBAŞ, 2016. "Ana Akım Büyüme Modeli ve Yakınsama Hipotezlerinin Analizi: Panel Veri Yaklaşımı," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 24(30).
    14. King, Alan & Ramlogan-Dobson, Carlyn, 2015. "International income convergence: Is Latin America actually different?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 212-222.
    15. Burcu Ozcan, 2014. "Does Income Converge among EU Member Countries following the Post-War Period? Evidence from the PANKPSS Test," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(3), pages 22-38, October.
    16. King, Alan & Ramlogan-Dobson, Carlyn, 2015. "Is Africa Actually Developing?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 598-613.
    17. Kadigi, Reuben M.J. & Robinson, Elizabeth & Szabo, Sylvia & Kangile, Joseph & Mgeni, Charles P. & De Maria, Marcello & Tsusaka, Takuji & Nhau, Brighton, 2022. "Revisiting the Solow-Swan model of income convergence in the context of coffee producing and re-exporting countries in the world," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115636, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    18. Diego Romero‐Ávila, 2009. "The Convergence Hypothesis For Oecd Countries Reconsidered: Panel Data Evidence With Multiple Breaks, 1870–2003," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 77(4), pages 552-574, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    C32; O40; Growth; Convergence; Convergence clubs; Unit-root tests; Structural breaks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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