Complexity: Hausmann-Hidalgo Economic Complexity

Christian Chacua and Matte Hartog ()
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Christian Chacua: Harvard's Growth Lab
Matte Hartog: Center for International Development at Harvard University

No 270, Growth Lab Working Papers from Harvard's Growth Lab

Abstract: Economic complexity is an active field with a growing number of methodologies and applications. Among the different paradigms, the Hausmann-Hidalgo economic complexity framework offers a way to quantify the sophistication and productive knowledge embedded in an economy. In this work, we provide an overview of its foundational concepts, empirical applications, policy uses, and directions for future research. We aim to equip readers with a basic understanding of this framework in simple words and to help them navigate the vast literature. We argue that the Hausmann-Hidalgo economic complexity serves as a flexible framework for understanding the dynamics of knowledge diversification across multiple economic domains and provides a starting point for the design of place-based policies.

Keywords: economic; complexity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06
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