Developing and Transition Economies in the Late 20th Century: Diverging Growth Rates, Economic Structures, and Sources of Demand

Codrina Rada and Lance Taylor

Working Papers from United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs

Abstract: This study reviews the growth and development performance of developing countries in the latter part of the 20th century. Sustained growth among “successful” countries was accompanied by structural change in terms of output and labour share shifts, trade diversification, sustained productivity growth with some strong reallocation effects due to movements of labour from low to high productivity sectors. Neither the widely accepted “twin deficits” nor the “consumption-smoothing” behaviour views of macro adjustment seem to apply, though macroeconomic flexibility may be very important. Finally, neither human capital accumulation nor foreign direct investment are sufficient, by themselves, to stimulate growth.

Keywords: economic development; structural change; comparative studies; development policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O11 O57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2006-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev, nep-his, nep-pke and nep-tra
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:une:wpaper:34

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