Konwergencja regionalna w Hiszpanii w latach 1995–2012

The article examines the process of regional convergence in Spain from 1995 to 2012. The author uses both beta- and sigma­‑convergence measures. The research confirms the existence of absolute convergence in Spain during the studied 17‑­year period, the author says. Regions with a high level of per capita income in the base year had lower economic growth rates, Piętak notes, adding that “income dispersion around the average income was reduced, confirming the existence of sigma­‑convergence.” The research shows that there was a process of convergence in labor productivity in the analyzed period. In the case of labor productivity the capital/labor ratio played the key role, Piętak says, while capital productivity was less important. The author also examined the process of convergence for two other factors affecting labor productivity: human capital and R&D expenditure. In this case Spanish regions showed a strong convergence in the analyzed period, Piętak notes. The author used Polish, English and Spanish research reports when writing the article. Statistical data on Spain and its autonomous regions used in the paper come from Spain’s National Statistics Institute and ­AMECO, the annual macroeconomic database of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs. Piętak also used data made available by Spain’s Bancaja Foundation and the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (IVIE).