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Are Living Standards Converging?

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Author Info
B. Hobijn ()
Ph.H.B.F. Franses () (FEW-Econometrie en besliskunde)

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Abstract

We re-address the convergence issue that is so prominent in the economic growth literature and present evidence as to what extent there is convergence across measures of living standards, alternative to per capita income. The four additional indicators that we use are daily calorie supply, daily protein supply, infant mortality rates, and life expectancy at birth. We present results obtained using three techniques previously considered in growth empirics. These are cross-country regressions, distributional dynamics, and cluster analysis. Our main finding is that convergence in real GDP per capita does not imply convergence in other social indicators. However, the qualitative results for all indicators are the same in the sense that high income countries generally do not converge to low income countries.

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Paper provided by Erasmus University Rotterdam, Econometric Institute in its series Econometric Institute Report with number 105.

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Date of creation: 1999
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Handle: RePEc:dgr:eureir:1999105

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Related research
Keywords: convergence growth empirics per capita income social indicators;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare and Poverty - - - General Welfare
O47 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Measurement of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
O57 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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    Other versions:
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  13. Quah, Danny T., 1996. "Empirics for economic growth and convergence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1353-1375, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Kakwani, N., 1995. "Structural Adjustment and Performance in Living Standards in Developing Countries," Papers 95-12, New South Wales - School of Economics.
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    Other versions:
  18. S Durlauf & Danny Quah, 1998. "The New Empirics of Economic Growth," CEP Discussion Papers dp0384, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
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    Other versions:
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Günter W. Beck & Axel A. Weber, 2005. "Inflation Rate Dispersion and Convergence in Monetary and Economic Unions: Lessons for the ECB," CFS Working Paper Series 2005/31, Center for Financial Studies. [Downloadable!]
  2. Diego Comin & Bart Hobijn & Emilie Rovito, 2006. "Five Facts You Need to Know About Technology Diffusion," NBER Working Papers 11928, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. David E. A. Giles, 2001. "Output Convergence and International Trade: Time-Series and Fuzzy Clustering Evidence for New Zealand and Her Trading Partners, 1950-1992," Econometrics Working Papers 0102, Department of Economics, University of Victoria. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Andrés Marchante & Bienvenido Ortega, 2006. "Quality of life and economic convergence across Spanish regions, 1980--2001," Regional Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 471-483, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Eric Neumayer, 2004. "HIV/AIDS and its impact on convergence in life expectancy, infant and child survival rates," HEW 0405001, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  6. Leandro Prados de la Escosura, 2004. "When Did Latin America Fall Behind?.Evidence From Long-Run International Inequality," Working Papers in Economic History wh046604, Universidad Carlos III, Departamento de Historia Económica e Instituciones. [Downloadable!]
  7. Cuffaro , Miranda & Cracolici, Maria Francesca & Nijkamp, Peter, 2006. "Economic convergence vs. socio-economic convergence in space," Serie Research Memoranda 0020, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics. [Downloadable!]
  8. Vicente Royuela & Manuel Artís, 2006. "Convergence analysis in terms of quality of life in the urban systems of the Barcelona province, 1991--2000," Regional Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 485-492, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Axel A. Weber & Günter W. Beck, 2005. "Price Stability, Inflation Convergence and Diversity in EMU: Does One Size Fit All?," CFS Working Paper Series 2005/30, Center for Financial Studies. [Downloadable!]
  10. Maria Francesca Cracolici & Miranda Cuffaro & Peter Nijkamp, 2008. "Analysis of Spatial Disparities by a Structural Equations Model," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-058/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  11. David E.A. Giles & Hui Feng, 2003. "Testing For Convergence in Output and in 'Well-Being' in Industrialized Countries," Econometrics Working Papers 0302, Department of Economics, University of Victoria. [Downloadable!]
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