The middle-income transition around the globe: Characteristics of graduation and slowdown

Arbeitspapier

The paper investigates the situation of middle-income economies around the world. Since 1965, only 18 economies with a population of more than 3 million and not dependent on oil exports have made the transition to being high income. Many more have not been able to move beyond the middle-income stage. We conduct statistical tests of differences between two groups of economies across a range of growth and development variables. The results suggest that middle-income economies are particularly weak in the following areas: governance, infrastructure, savings and investment, inequality, and quality - but not quantity - of education. The findings are used to suggest whether the People's Republic of China is successfully progressing through the middle-income stage or whether it may get caught in a middle-income trap.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: ADBI Working Paper ; No. 519

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology ; Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes ; Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity: General ; Economywide Country Studies: Asia including Middle East
• Subject: middle-income trap ; transition ; economic development ; slowdown

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Vandenberg, Paul ; Poot, Lilibeth ; Miyamoto, Jeffrey
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)
• (where): Tokyo
• (when): 2015

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/115335
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET