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The Contribution of Regions to Aggregate Growth in the OECD

Author

Listed:
  • Enrique Garcilazo

    (OECD)

  • Joaquim Oliveira Martins

    (OECD)

Abstract

This paper investigates the contribution of regions to aggregate growth in the OECD. We find a great degree of heterogeneity in the performance of OECD TL3 regions and among the OECD regional typology (urban, intermediate and rural). While the distribution in GDP and GDP per capita growth rates follows an approximately normal distribution, the regional contributions to aggregate growth follow a power law, with a coefficient around 1.2 (in absolute terms). This implies that Few-Large (FL) regions contribute disproportionately to aggregate growth whereas Many-Small (MS) individual regions contribute only marginally. Nevertheless, because the number of these smaller regions is very large and the decay of their contribution to growth is slow (generating a fat tail distribution), their cumulated contribution is actually around 2/3 of aggregate growth. For the period 1995-2007, only 2.4% of OECD TL3 regions contribute to 27% of OECD GDP growth, but the remaining 97.6% corresponds to 73%. We also found that the distribution of growth rates by size follows a non-monotonic pattern, with the largest concentration of above average regional growth rates being concentrated for middle-sized regions. This heterogeneity suggests that the possibilities for growth seem to exist in many different types of regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Enrique Garcilazo & Joaquim Oliveira Martins, 2013. "The Contribution of Regions to Aggregate Growth in the OECD," OECD Regional Development Working Papers 2013/28, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:govaab:2013/28-en
    DOI: 10.1787/5k3tt0zzp932-en
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    Cited by:

    1. Saptorshee Kanto Chakraborty & Antoine Mandel, 2024. "Understanding EU regional macroeconomic tipping points using panel threshold technique," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1-30, June.
    2. Lengyel, Imre & Varga, Attila, 2019. "Előszó," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 597-606.
    3. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/32ctbi8fbq8j5aom2j69qam6tf is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Benjamin Montmartin & Ludovic Dibiaggio & Lionel Nesta, 2018. "Regional Alignment and Productivity Growth," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) halshs-01948337, HAL.
    5. Fabio Mazzola & Pietro Pizzuto, 2020. "Great Recession and club convergence in Europe: A cross‐country, cross‐region panel analysis (2000–2015)," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 676-711, June.
    6. Paolo Di Caro & Ugo Fratesi, 2022. "One policy, different effects: Estimating the region‐specific impacts of EU cohesion policy," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 307-330, January.
    7. Sabine D'Costa & Enrique Garcilazo & Joaquim Oliveira Martins, 2016. "Impact of Structural Reforms on Regional Growth: Distance to the Frontier Matters," SERC Discussion Papers 0203, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    8. Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2025. "Why size really doesn't matter: From megacity myths to place-sensitive prosperity," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2539, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Dec 2025.
    9. Roberta Capello & Andrea Caragliu, 2021. "Merging macroeconomic and territorial determinants of regional growth: the MASST4 model," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 66(1), pages 19-56, February.
    10. Takeshi Kato & Yasuyuki Kudo & Hiroyuki Mizuno & Yoshinori Hiroi, 2020. "Regional Inequality Simulations Based on Asset Exchange Models with Exchange Range and Local Support Bias," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 7(5), pages 10-23, September.
    11. McNeil, Andrew & Lee, Neil & Luca, Davide, 2022. "The long shadow of local decline: birthplace economic conditions, political attitudes, and long-term individual economic outcomes in the UK," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113681, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Fusaro, Stefano & Scandurra, Rosario, 2023. "The impact of the European social fund on youth education and employment," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    13. Sabine D’Costa & Jose Enrique Garcilazo & Joaquim Oliveira Martins, 2019. "Impact of macro‐structural reforms on the productivity growth of regions: Distance to the frontier matters," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 98(1), pages 133-166, February.
    14. Chris McDonald & Ana I. Moreno-Monroy & Laura-Sofia Springare, 2019. "Indigenous economic development and well-being in a place-based context," OECD Regional Development Working Papers 2019/01, OECD Publishing.
    15. Takeshi Kato & Yasuyuki Kudo & Hiroyuki Mizuno & Yoshinori Hiroi, 2020. "Regional Inequality Simulations Based on Asset Exchange Models with Exchange Range and Local Support Bias," Papers 2002.09272, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2020.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

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

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