Sigma-Convergence revisited

Dimitris Kallioras (), Marie-Noëlle Duquenne () and Stevi Vafeiadou ()
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Stevi Vafeiadou: Department of Planning and Regional Development, University of Thessaly

Region et Developpement, 2018, vol. 47, 81-96

Abstract: Referring to the diachronic decrease of the overall dispersion of a (regional) dataset, s-convergence is a dominant concept in the empirical regional convergence / divergence litera-ture. The paper revisits the s-convergence concept, expressing the, “classical”, coefficient of variation and weighted coefficient of variation formulas against the backdrop of the median. To this end, the paper specifies and proposes a pair of, “alternative”, formulas for apprehend-ing the s-convergence concept. Such an endeavor stems from the, purely, statistical rationale that the mean is a central tendency measure highly sensitive to the eventual presence of outliers. The theory-driven propositions of the paper are supported from an illustrative em-pirical analysis of regional inequalities in France, at the NUTS III spatial level, for the period 2001-2015. The findings of the analysis provide valuable insight to both theory and policy-making, indicating that different expressions of the s-convergence concept may lead to dif-ferent inferences with respect to regional inequalities.

Keywords: Regional inequalities; s-convergence; Coefficient of variation; Weighted coefficient of variation; Mean; Median (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C13 C18 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tou:journl:v:47:y:2018:p:81-96

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