The rise of the mega-region

Abstract

This paper develops new data on mega-regions. It takes issue with theories of globalization which argue that global economic activity is being more widely decentralized—‘the world is flat’. We use a global dataset of night-time light emissions to produce an objectively consistent set of mega-regions for the globe. We draw on high-resolution population data to estimate the population of each of these regions. We then process the light data in combination with national gross domestic product (GDP) to produce rough but useful regional estimates of economic activity. We also present estimates of technological and scientific innovation.

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