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Economic growth in MENA countries: Is there convergence of per-capita GDPs?

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  • Andreano, M. Simona
  • Laureti, Lucio
  • Postiglione, Paolo

Abstract

In the last years a central issue in economic growth debate has been represented by the convergence problem. Many empirical economists have noticed that per-capita GDPs of poor regions tend to converge to those of the richer ones. This tendency is more evident in the nineties when the globalization phenomenon was born. In this paper we use a conditional β-convergence approach to evaluate the economic growth of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. In particular, we use a set of state, environmental, and economic covariates as conditioning variables of the model. The MENA region is daily at the center of economic and political debate, and this stylized fact represents a further source of interest. Our data set is constituted by 26 countries, and ranges from 1950 to 2007.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreano, M. Simona & Laureti, Lucio & Postiglione, Paolo, 2013. "Economic growth in MENA countries: Is there convergence of per-capita GDPs?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 669-683.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:35:y:2013:i:4:p:669-683
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2013.02.005
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    9. Allah Morad Seif & Hossein Panahi & Davoud Hamidi Razi, 2017. "Regional Economic Growth and Spatial Spillover Effects in MENA Area," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 21(4), pages 765-787, Autumn.
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    13. Merve Aksoylar Baysoy & Sumru Altug, 2019. "Growth Spillovers in the MENA Region," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 1909, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    β-Convergence; MENA countries; Determinants of growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries
    • F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade

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