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Regional convergence under declining population: The case of Japan

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  • Fukuda, Shin-ichi
  • Okumura, Koki

Abstract

Using regional data from Japan, we examine how population growth affected regional convergence in Japan, where population decline has become conspicuous in several regions. The basic equation in the analysis allows two distinct features that previous studies rarely explored. First, we allow the coefficient of initial per capita output to change when the growth rate of population is lower than a threshold value. Second, we allow the growth rate of population to have ambiguous effects on the growth rate of per capita output. Our estimation results confirm the convergence hypothesis in Japan. However, we find that the declining speed of convergence was more conspicuous in the regions that had negative population growth. We also find that the decline in population growth, which was irrelevant for regional economic growth before 1995, came to have harmful impacts on regional economic growth after 1995. We believe this occurred because in societies with declining populations, economies of agglomeration had more significantly disappeared in poorer regions than in richer regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Fukuda, Shin-ichi & Okumura, Koki, 2020. "Regional convergence under declining population: The case of Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:japwor:v:55:y:2020:i:c:s0922142520300025
    DOI: 10.1016/j.japwor.2020.101023
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    Cited by:

    1. Fukuda, Shin-ichi & Okumura, Koki, 2021. "The aging society, savings rates, and regional flow of funds in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    2. Kobayashi, Ayami & Bremer, Marc, 2022. "Lessons from mergers and acquisitions of regional banks in Japan: What does the stock market think?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    3. Vicente German‐Soto & Konstantin Gluschenko, 2023. "Long‐term regional convergence in Mexico: A new look," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 963-991, May.
    4. Fukuda, Yukari, 2020. "Land prices and agglomeration: Theory and evidence from the Tokyo metropolitan area," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    5. Otsu, Keisuke & Shibayama, Katsuyuki, 2022. "Population aging, government policy and the postwar Japanese economy," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Convergence hypothesis; Population decline; Economies of agglomeration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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