The rise and fall of spatial inequalities in France: A long-run perspective
Journal article: This paper studies the evolution and determinants of spatial inequalities in France. To this end, we use a unique database providing data on value-added, employment, and population over the entire set of French "Départements" in 1860, 1896, 1930, 1982, and 2000. These data cover three sectors: Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Services. Firstly, we confirm the existence of a bell-shaped process of spatial concentration in Manufacturing and Services over time. In contrast, labor productivity has been converging across departments. Secondly, we find considerable agglomeration economies over the whole period. The spatial distribution of these gains is determined mainly by market potential in the first sub-period, 1860-1930, and higher education in the second, 1930-2000.
Author(s)
Pierre-Philippe Combes, Miren Lafourcade, Jacques-François Thisse, Jean-Claude Toutain
Journal
- Explorations in Economic History
Date of publication
- 2011
Keywords JEL
Keywords
- Economic geography
- Economic history
- Agglomeration economies
- Regional productivity
- Human capital
Pages
- 243-271
URL of the HAL notice
Version
- 1
Volume
- 48