Convergence and Inter-Distributional Dynamics among the Spanish Provinces. A Non-parametric Density Estimation Approach

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamics of the per capita GDP over the period 1961-1997 for the Spanish provinces. To avoid issues linked to the cross-sectional regression and the time series approaches, a non-parametric density estimation approach is instead used. The main goal is to show that Spanish provinces had a convergence dynamics during years, but a divergent one in the last decades. After a period of convergence during the sixties and part of the seventies, evidence in favour of intra-groups convergence (or polarization of income) is found during the eighties, and a starting process of divergence and increasing polarization among groups (clustering) is found for the last period analysed (1991-1997). Moreover, the inter-distributional dynamics are analysed for the Spanish provinces, presenting how the provinces have evolved during this period.