Testing for convergence: evidence from non-parametric multimodality tests

The convergence hypothesis in growth theory implies that the frequency of the density distribution of GDP in a cross-section of countries tends to approach unimodality as we move forward in time. The convergence theory in a cross-section of 119 countries is tested by means of bootstrap multimodality tests and non parametric density estimation techniques. By looking at the density distribution of GDP across countries in 1970, 1980 and 1989, increasing evidence for bimodality is found. The finding stands in contrast with the convergence prediction.