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The synchronization club: classification of global economic groups by inequality

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  • Hongduo Cao
  • Ying Li
  • Yong Tan

Abstract

We find that, from 1970 to 2006, the GDPs of 181 countries are described by a log-normal with a power law tail before 1992, but by a kinked power law distribution after 1992. In the 15 years from 1992 to 2006, there are two obvious scale-free zones for annual GDPs, ranked from the largest to smallest. If the countries in each scaling region are regarded as a group, the world is divided into two groups, each with a roughly stable number of members. The power exponents of the two groups are different and hence lead to different inequalities. Therefore, the basis for classification is the macro-consistent inequality within each group. The wealth grows in a synchronous nonlinear manner within groups that have a stable wealth distribution and rank structure. If each group is considered as a club, we name it a 'synchronization club'.

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  • Hongduo Cao & Ying Li & Yong Tan, 2014. "The synchronization club: classification of global economic groups by inequality," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(21), pages 2502-2510, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:46:y:2014:i:21:p:2502-2510
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2014.904490
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    1. Shana M. Sundstrom & Craig R. Allen & David G. Angeler, 2020. "Scaling and discontinuities in the global economy," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 319-345, April.

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