Decomposition of Brazil’s per capita income growth: a regional-sectoral approach

Abstract

The article measures the determinants of the Brazil's per capita income growth in the 2004-15 period, based on the role of productivity and variables related to the labor market and the demography. The investigation is carried out jointly in a regional (by Major Regions) and sectoral approach (contribution of each activity of the productive structure to the growth of each geographical unit). The role of productive efficiency and structural changes in the composition of employment and relative prices in this growth is highlighted. The article brings some contributions to the literature, mainly due to the empirical approach not yet explored within the regional and sectoral context. The results indicate important differences in the contributions of each component of the decomposition depending on the geographical unit analyzed, as well as relevant sectoral heterogeneities within and between such units.

Keywords:
growth accounting; productivity and structural change; labor market and demography; regional-sectoral approach; Brazil and Major Regions