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Convergence and Growth Linkages Between North and South

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Author Info
John F. Helliwell
Alan Chung
Abstract

Using cross-sectional data for 98 countries for 1960-85, this paper shows that growth of per capita GDP depends negatively on initial income levels, as implied by the convergence hypothesis, as well as on international differences in investment rates in physical and human capital. There is some evidence of slight economies of scale (1.06) among the industrial countries. The evidence in favor of the convergence hypothesis is strongest for the countries of the OECD and Latin America, and weakest for Asia. Growth in Latin America and Africa is lower than elsewhere even after allowing for international differences in initial income levels, scale, schooling and capital investment. Analysis of Solow residuals for the OECD countries (for which capital stock data are available) shows convergence in rates of technical progress, suggesting that convergence of per capita GDPs is not Just a function of differences in investment rates. The linkage between per capita GDP and the real exchange rate is found to be strong for the OECD and Asia, weak for Africa and negative for Latin America.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 3948.

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Date of creation: Jan 1992
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3948

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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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  3. Andrew B. Bernard & Steven N. Durlauf, 1991. "Convergence of International Output Movements," NBER Working Papers 3717, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Dowrick, Steve & Gemmell, Norman, 1991. "Industrialisation, Catching Up and Economic Growth: A Comparative Study across the World's Capitalist Economies," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 101(405), pages 263-75, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Baumol, William J & Wolff, Edward N, 1988. "Productivity Growth, Convergence, and Welfare: Reply," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(5), pages 1155-59, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Abramovitz, Moses, 1990. "The Catch-Up Factor in Postwar Economic Growth," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 28(1), pages 1-18, January.
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  10. Baumol, William J, 1986. "Productivity Growth, Convergence, and Welfare: What the Long-run Data Show," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1072-85, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. De Long, J Bradford, 1988. "Productivity Growth, Convergence, and Welfare: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(5), pages 1138-54, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Stern, Nicholas, 1991. "The Determinants of Growth," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 101(404), pages 122-33, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Helpman, E., 1991. "Endogenous Macroeconomic Growth Theory," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1570, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
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  15. Paul M. Romer, 1989. "Human Capital And Growth: Theory and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 3173, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Lucas, Robert E, Jr, 1990. "Why Doesn't Capital Flow from Rich to Poor Countries?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 92-96, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Dasgupta, Partha, 1991. "Nutrition, Non-convexities and Redistributive Policies," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 101(404), pages 22-26, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Paul Romer, 1991. "Endogenous Technological Change," NBER Working Papers 3210, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  19. Landes, David S, 1990. "Why Are We So Rich and They So Poor?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 1-13, May.
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  21. De Long, J Bradford & Summers, Lawrence H, 1991. "Equipment Investment and Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 106(2), pages 445-502, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  22. Rivera-Batiz, Luis A. & Romer, Paul M., 1991. "International trade with endogenous technological change," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 971-1001, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  23. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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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. John F. Helliwell, 1994. "Empirical Linkages Between Democracy and Economic Growth," NBER Working Papers 4066, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Par Hansson & Magnus Henrekson, 1994. "What makes a country socially capable of catching up?," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 130(4), pages 760-783, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Magnus Blomstrom & Robert E. Lipsey & Mario Zejan, 1994. "What Explains Developing Country Growth?," NBER Working Papers 4132, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. John F. Helliwell, 1994. "International Growth Linkages: Evidence from Asia and the OECD," NBER Working Papers 4245, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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