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Explaining the Productivity Growth Gap Between China and India: The Role of Structural Transformation

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  • Hehe Liu
  • Tianyu Yang

Abstract

type="main"> Chinese and Indian aggregate productivity growth has been significantly different over the last 30 years. This paper studies the role of structural transformation in accounting for the aggregate productivity growth gap between two economies. We calibrate a neoclassical model of structural transformation for China and India. The model implies that higher productivity growth in China's manufacturing and agriculture accounts for most of the aggregate productivity growth gap between the two countries. According to the development strategy of China's government, China would start a new phase of structural transformation whereby employment is moving from manufacturing to services. Since the productivity growth gap in services is pretty small between China and India, if China wants to remain superior in relative productivity, it should improve the productivity growth rate of services. In contrast, the relative performance in India hinges on closing its productivity gap in agriculture and manufacturing relative to China.

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  • Hehe Liu & Tianyu Yang, 2015. "Explaining the Productivity Growth Gap Between China and India: The Role of Structural Transformation," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 53(2), pages 100-121, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:deveco:v:53:y:2015:i:2:p:100-121
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/deve.12071
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    Cited by:

    1. Chao Zhou & Hongling Zheng & Shenwei Wan, 2023. "Industrial Structure, Employment Structure and Economic Growth—Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Upali Wickramasinghe, 2016. "Fostering productivity in the rural and agricultural sector for inclusive growth and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific Abstract:," MPDD Working Paper Series WP/16/07, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
    3. Dabús , Carlos & Delbianco, Fernando, 2021. "Economic Development and Structural Change: The Role of Services," Journal of Economic Development, The Economic Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, vol. 46(3), pages 67-86, September.
    4. Manash Ranjan Gupta & Priya Brata Dutta, 2018. "Skilled-unskilled wage inequality and structural transformation in a dual economy," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 311-332, December.

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