Abstract
Evaluations of regional welfare conventionally rely on Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita as an indicator of well-being. This paper attempts to re-address the regional welfare issue using alternative indicators to per capita income. With this aim, a database for the Spanish regions (NUTS II) has been constructed for the period 1980–2001 and an augmented version of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) has been estimated incorporating indicators of health, education and per capita income. The results show that, whereas regional income per capita disparities have remained constant, regional convergence in the Augmented Human Development Index (AHDI) was achieved between 1980 and 2001. None the less, there is no evidence of intra-distributional mobility (leap-frogging) across regions in the AHDI
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. Anand A. Sen (1994) ‘Human Development Index: Methodology and measure’ Human Development Report Office New York
R.J. Barro X. Sala-i-Martin (1999) Economic Growth The MIT Press Boston
Boldrin M., Canova F. (2001). ‘Inequality and convergence in European regions: Reconsidering European regional policies’. Economic Policy. April, pp. 206–253
Crafts N.F.R. (1997). ‘Economic growth in east Asia and western Europe since 1950: Implications for living standards’, National Institute Economic Review, October, pp. 75–84.
P. Dasgupta M. Weale (1992) ArticleTitle‘On measuring the quality of live’ World Development 20 IssueID1 119–131 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0305-750X(92)90141-H
A. Dela Fuente (2002) ArticleTitle‘On the sources of convergence: A close look at the Spanish regions’ European Economic Review 46 569–599 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0014-2921(01)00161-1
M. Friedman (1992) ArticleTitle‘Do old falacies ever die?’ Journal of Economic Literature 30 2129–2132
G. Giannias P. Liargovas G. Manolas (1999) ArticleTitle‘Quality of Life Indices for Analysing Convergence in the European Union’ Regional Studies 33 IssueID1 27–35 Occurrence Handle10.1080/00343409950118896
F. Goerlich M. Mas (2001) ArticleTitle‘Inequality in Spain 1973–1991: Contribution to a regional database’ Review of Income and Wealth 47 IssueID3 361–378 Occurrence Handle10.1111/1475-4991.00022
B. Hobijn P.H. Franses (2001) ArticleTitle‘Are living standards converging?’ Structural Change and Economycs Dynamics 12 171–200 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0954-349X(00)00034-5
S. Horrel (2000) ArticleTitle‘Living standards in Britain 1900–2000: women´s century?’ National Institute Economic Review 172 62–77
I. Ivanova F.J. Arcelus G. Srinivasan (1999) ArticleTitle‘An assessment of the measure properties of the Human Development Index’ Social Indicators Research 46 IssueID2 157–179 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1006839208067
N. Kakwani (1993) ArticleTitle‘Performance in living standards An international comparison’ Journal of Development Economics 41 307–336 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0304-3878(93)90061-Q
H. Khan (1991) ArticleTitle‘Measure and determinants of socioeconomic development: A critical conspectus’ Social Indicators Research 24 153–175 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00300358
Mancha, T.: 2001, ‘Integración económica y desigualdades regionales: el caso español en el contexto de la Unión Europea’, in Mancha, T. and Sotelsek, D. (dir.), Convergencia económica e integración. La experiencia en Europa y América Latina, (Pirámide, Madrid)
Mas M., Pérez F., Uriel E., Serrano L. (1995). Capital Humano, Series Históricas, (Fundación Bancaja e IVIE, Valencia)
K. Mazumdar (1999) ArticleTitle‘Measuring the well-being of the developing countries: Achievement and improvement indices’ Social Indicators Research 47 1–60 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1006895213769
K. Mazumdar (2002) ArticleTitle‘A note on cross-country divergence in standard of living’ Applied Economics Letters 9 87–90 Occurrence Handle10.1080/13504850110049388
K. Mazumdar (2003) ArticleTitle‘Do standards of living converge? A cross-country study’ Social Indicators Research 64 29–50 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1024736308509
W.D. Nordhaus J. Tobin (1972) Is growth obsolete? Columbia University Press New York
E. O´Leary (2001) ArticleTitle‘Convergence of living standards among Irish regions: The role of productivity, profit outflows and demography 1960–1996’ Regional Studies 53 IssueID3 197–205
L. Obsberg A. Sharpe (2002) ArticleTitle‘An index of economic well-being for selected OECD countries’ Review of Income and Wealth 48 IssueID3 291–316 Occurrence Handle10.1111/1475-4991.00056
Palafox J. (1997). Capital humano, educación y empleo en la Comunidad Valenciana (Fundación Bancaja e IVIE, Valencia)
J.L. Raymond (2002) ArticleTitle‘Convergencia real de las regiones españolas y capital humano’ Papeles de Economía Española 93 109–121
X. Sala-i- Martin (1996) ArticleTitle‘The classical approach to convergence analysis’ The Economic Journal 106 1019–1036
A. Sen (1985) Commodities and capabilities North Holland Amsterdam
S. Siegel (1956) Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences McGraw-Hill New York
InstitutionalAuthorNameUnited Nations Development Programme. (1994) Human Development Report 1994 Oxford University Press New York
InstitutionalAuthorNameUnited Nations Development Programme. (2003) Human Development Report 2003 Oxford University Press New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marchante, A.J., Ortega, B. & Sánchez, J. The Evolution of Well-Being in Spain (1980–2001): A Regional Analysis. Soc Indic Res 76, 283–316 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-1097-6
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-1097-6