Income convergence and the catch-up index

Chander Kant

The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, 2019, vol. 48, issue C, 613-627

Abstract: Defining a catch-up index that measures rich-poor country income convergence and comparing it to within group convergence (β-convergence), defining relative convergence as decrease in rich-poor country income ratio and absolute convergence as decrease in rich-poor country income gap, we derive an equation for years for income equality to the frontier (full convergence). Focusing on relatively homogeneous countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, we show neither region has achieved either within group convergence or significant catching-up since 1951, and 21 of the 28 countries exhibiting catching-up in the most recent 21-years period, using US as the frontier, show falling behind over the longer period. We show years for full convergence depend also on the initial conditions; the neo-classical hypothesis that poorer countries grow faster means relative convergence, relative convergence is a necessary but not sufficient condition for absolute convergence; “Iron law of convergence” does not hold; and within group convergence is consistent with poorer countries in the group diverging absolutely while richer countries converge.

Keywords: Rich-poor-country income differences; Iron law of convergence; Relative convergence and absolute divergence; Relatively homogeneous South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa; Years for income equality to the frontier (full convergence) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O11 O47 O57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecofin:v:48:y:2019:i:c:p:613-627

DOI: 10.1016/j.najef.2018.07.017

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