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The Geography of Development

Desmet, Klaus; Krisztian Nagy, David; Rossi-Hansberg, Esteban

JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
2018
VL / 126 - BP / 903 - EP / 983
abstract
We develop a dynamic spatial growth theory with realistic geography. We characterize the model and its balanced-growth path and propose a methodology to analyze equilibria with different levels of migration frictions. Different migration scenarios change local market size, innovation incentives, and the evolution of technology. We bring the model to the data for the whole world economy at a 1 degrees x 1 degrees geographic resolution. We then use the model to quantify the gains from relaxing migration restrictions. Our results indicate that fully liberalizing migration would increase welfare about threefold and would significantly affect the evolution of particular regions of the world.

AccesS level

Green published

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