The economic step between neighbours: the case of Spain-Morocco

Article abstract:

Comparing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita between 189 neighbouring countries reveals that the worldwide average economic difference is 3.5. Focusing on the most unequal cases we have found that their global relationships share several characteristics that are related to their economic differential. This article devotes special attention to the case of Morocco and Spain. In 1970 Spanish GDP per capita was four times higher than Morocco's. Since then the differential has grown exponentially to reach 13. Without an active policy aimed at reducing it, this economic 'step' will be likely to increase, together with the risks associated with such acute inequality. The step between Spain and Morocco is compared here with the cases of USA-Mexico and Germany-Poland, where different sets of policies have successfully reduced the step, while Mexico and Poland have achieved a stabilization of their democracies.