Regional income inequality in Italy in the long run (1871-2001). Patterns and determinants
Felice, Emanuele
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Unitat d'Història Econòmica

Imprint: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Unitat d'Història Econòmica 2013
Description: 35 p.
Abstract: The chapter presents up-to-date estimates of Italy's regional GDP, with the present borders, in ten-year benchmarks from 1871 to 2001, and proposes a new interpretative hypothesis based on long-lasting socio-institutional differences. The inverted U-shape of income inequality is confirmed: rising divergence until the midtwentieth century, then convergence. However, the latter was limited to the centrenorth: Italy was divided into three parts by the time regional inequality peaked, in 1951, and appears to have been split into two halves by 2001. As a consequence of the falling back of the south, from 1871 to 2001 we record σ-divergence across Italy's regions, i. e. an increase in dispersion, and sluggish β-convergence. Geographical factors and the market size played a minor role: against them are both the evidence that most of the differences in GDP are due to employment rather than to productivity and the observed GDP patterns of many regions. The gradual converging of regional GDPs towards two equilibria instead follows social and institutional differences − in the political and economic institutions and in the levels of human and social capital - which originated in pre-unification states and did not die (but in part even increased) in postunification Italy.
Rights: L'accés als continguts d'aquest document queda condicionat a l'acceptació de les condicions d'ús establertes per la següent llicència Creative Commons: Creative Commons
Language: Anglès
Series: Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica. Unitat d'Història Econòmica. Documents de treball
Series: Documents de treball (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Unitat d'Història Econòmica) ; 2013_08
Document: Working paper
Subject: Desigualtats regionals ; 1871-2001 ; Itàlia - Història ; Producte interior brut ; Itàlia



35 p, 470.6 KB

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Research literature > Working papers > Economic History Unit. Working papers

 Record created 2014-01-24, last modified 2022-07-09



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