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Stochastique convergence in the Economic Complexity Index: The case of Latin America and the Caribbean, 1995-2019

Abstract:

The aim for this article is to examine the hypothesis of convergence in the Economic Complexity Index during the period 1995-2019, for a representative sample of Latin American and Caribbean countries, regarding two references: the economic complexity of the United States and the average complexity among ten leading countries of the world distribution in 2019. A stochastic convergence methodology was used, and the contrasts of the hypothesis were carried out through standard unit root tests and with structural break. The results show that the dispersion of complexity between countries increased steadily. In addition, these do not reveal absolute convergence, except for Costa Rica and Mexico, while other countries share common trends or present divergence compared to the reference countries. These findings imply that some economic problems, such as slow growth or levels of economic development, could not be solved if the systemic interactions at the productive level, revealed in the degree of economic complexity, do not improve. One of the limitations of the study is that it does not explicitly contemplate the relationship with other dimensions of sustainable development.