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Evidence and Implications of Zipf’s Law for Integrated Economies

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  • Harry P. Bowen
  • Haris Munandar
  • Jean-Marie Viaene

Abstract

This paper considers the distribution of output and productive factors among members of a fully integrated economy (FIE). We demonstrate that each member’s shares of total output and of total factors will be equal. This implies that growth in shares is random. If output and factor shares evolve as reflective geometric Brownian motion, then limiting distribution of these shares will exhibit Zipf’s law. Our empirics support Zipf’s law for U.S. states and for E.U. countries. These findings imply that models characterizing growth of members within an FIE should embody a key assumption: growth process of shares is random and homogeneous.

Suggested Citation

  • Harry P. Bowen & Haris Munandar & Jean-Marie Viaene, 2006. "Evidence and Implications of Zipf’s Law for Integrated Economies," CESifo Working Paper Series 1743, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1743
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    growth; economic integration; factor price equalization; Zipf's law;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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