Wzrost gospodarczy i dywergencja poziomów dochodu w polskich podregionach – niektóre determinanty i efekty przestrzenne
Economic Growth and Income Divergence in the Polish Subregions: Some Determinants and Spatial Patterns

Summary/Abstract: This paper is aimed at investigating the presence of sigma and beta convergence regarding per capita GDP levels between the Polish subregions over the period 1995–2006. We verify the existence of absolute convergence, as well as convergence conditioned on the stock of physical capital, human capital, and the size of the central city, being emphasised in the literature as important factors of regional growth. We also test for the presence of spatial effects in determination of regional growth rates. In line with the results of the research done in some other countries, we observe a sigma divergence, and unconditional beta divergence rather than convergence of income across Polish subregions. Conditional convergence is only observed between the regions around cities of similar size. Large agglomerations contribute to economic growth in peripheral regions during periods of dynamic growth of the economy while in the time of slowdown the human capital stock proves significant as determinant of regional growth.

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