Testing club convergence of economies by using a Broad-Based Development Index

The study of club convergence has been a major focus in the field of economic growth and development. The paper analyses the club convergence hypothesis going beyond the traditional use of GDP per capita. In this study, we attempt to analyze the convergence club of 102 countries based on augmented index for measuring development. This index consists of seven major indicator of development namely education, health, access to water and sanitation, energy use, environment, standard of living and good governance. These indicators are aggregated through weights obtained from Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Using this index of development we analyzed the club formation and transitional behavior of 102 countries over a period of 1996-2015. The study confirms four final club and shows transition during 2008. Further, to understand the determinant of the club membership we used ordered logit model. The result suggested that initial level of development and globalisation are the major drives in determining the club.

Automated summary

The study delves into club convergence of 102 countries based on an augmented index for measuring development, identifying four final clubs and a transition in 2008. The results suggest that the major determinants of club membership are the initial level of development and globalization.