Patterns of growth and structural change in   middle income countries

Scandizzo, Pasquale; David, W.; AGR

Patterns of growth and structural change in middle income countries

Scandizzo, Pasquale | David, W. | AGR

What accounts for the differences in economic progress and affluence between the middle income countries and the poorer ones? This report examines this quesion in the light of three qualifications. First, what are the key elements of the economic structure of the countries under question? Secondly, what elements play a part in the economic progress of these countries? Thirdly, what are the possible trade-offs between fast growth in agriculture and in manufacturing? The paper is divided into five sections. Section 1 briefly reviews some apects of the literature on the relationship between growth and structural change with a view to highlighting some pertinent hypotheses. Section 2 develops a framework for classifying middle income countries in terms of their economic structure. Here the paper examines the relative merits of a three-fold classification: semi-industrialized, mineral exporting and agricultural exporting. In Section 3 the pattern and structure of these countries' growth performance are examined by means of regression analysis of standard structural indicators. Similar analytical techniques are used in Section 4 to investigate the relationship between growth performance and the attainment of social progress.

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