If Technology Has Arrived Everywhere, Why has Income Diverged? / Diego A. Comin, Martí Mestieri Ferrer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Comin, Diego A.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Mestieri, Martí.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w19010.

NBER working paper series no. w19010

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2013.

Summary:

We study the lags with which new technologies are adopted across countries, and their long-run penetration rates once they are adopted. Using data from the last two centuries, we document two new facts: there has been convergence in adoption lags between rich and poor countries, while there has been divergence in penetration rates. Using a model of adoption and growth, we show that these changes in the pattern of technology diffusion account for 80% of the Great Income Divergence between rich and poor countries since 1820.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2013.