Economic Convergence Analyses in Perspective: A Bibliometric Mapping and Its Strategic Implications (1982–2025)

Geisel García-Vidal, Néstor Alberto Loredo-Carballo, Reyner Pérez-Campdesuñer and Gelmar García-Vidal ()
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Geisel García-Vidal: Center for Business and Territorial Management Studies, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Universidad de Camagüey, Camagüey 70100, Cuba
Néstor Alberto Loredo-Carballo: Center for Business and Territorial Management Studies, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Universidad de Camagüey, Camagüey 70100, Cuba
Reyner Pérez-Campdesuñer: Research Group in Business and Public Administration, Faculty of Law, Administrative Sciences and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170512, Ecuador
Gelmar García-Vidal: Research Group in Business and Public Administration, Faculty of Law, Administrative Sciences and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170512, Ecuador
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Geisel García Vidal

Economies, 2025, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-40

Abstract: This study presents a bibliometric and thematic analysis of economic convergence analysis from 1982 to 2025, based on a corpus of 2924 Scopus-indexed articles. Using VOSviewer and the bibliometrix R package, this research maps the field’s intellectual structure, identifying five main thematic clusters: (1) formal statistical models, (2) institutional-contextual approaches, (3) theoretical–statistical foundations, (4) nonlinear historical dynamics, and (5) normative and policy assessments. These reflect a shift from descriptive to explanatory and prescriptive frameworks, with growing integration of sustainability, spatial analysis, and institutional factors. The most productive journals include Journal of Econometrics (121 articles), Applied Economics (117), and Journal of Cleaner Production (81), while seminal contributions by Quah, Im et al., and Levin et al. anchor the co-citation network. International collaboration is significant, with 25.99% of publications involving cross-country co-authorship, particularly in European and North American networks. The field has grown at a compound annual rate of 14.4%, accelerating after 2000 and peaking in 2022–2024, indicating sustained academic interest. These findings highlight the maturation of convergence analysis as a multidisciplinary domain. Practically, this study underscores the value of composite indicators and spatial econometric models for monitoring regional, environmental, and technological convergence—offering policymakers tools for inclusive growth, climate resilience, and innovation strategies. Moreover, the emergence of clusters around sustainability and digital transformation reveals fertile ground for future research at the intersection of transitions in energy, digital, and institutional domains and sustainable development (a broader sense of structural change).

Keywords: economic convergence; bibliometrics; panel models; thematic clusters; development policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E F I J O Q (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jecomi:v:13:y:2025:i:10:p:289-:d:1765086

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