Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?

Abstract According to the classical theory of economic development, as in Akamatsu’s flying geese model, many countries should exhibit similar development patterns from agriculture-based sectors to processed or labor-intensive industries as a long-run trend. This paper identifies some common develop...

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Main Authors: Muhammad Tashfiq Huq, Masaru Ichihashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Economic Structures
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40008-025-00355-4
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author Muhammad Tashfiq Huq
Masaru Ichihashi
author_facet Muhammad Tashfiq Huq
Masaru Ichihashi
author_sort Muhammad Tashfiq Huq
collection DOAJ
description Abstract According to the classical theory of economic development, as in Akamatsu’s flying geese model, many countries should exhibit similar development patterns from agriculture-based sectors to processed or labor-intensive industries as a long-run trend. This paper identifies some common development patterns in 6 Asian lower-income developing countries (LIDCs) to confirm Flying Geese model for South and Southeast Asia, using three periods of the input‒output table with a novel decomposition technique derived from a conventional method. Our results show that labor-intensive and light manufacturing sectors, along with some high-value-added service sectors, are the most promising sectors in these countries. Food, basic metal and textiles in manufacturing and construction, electricity and transport in service are commonly growing in most countries. Among our targeted Asian countries, only Vietnam has been developing many diversified sectors in manufacturing from traditional labor-intensive sectors to highly technology-oriented sectors. This means that Vietnam might achieve an advanced stage faster than other Asian countries. In addition, we have found some prospective accelerating sectors in these countries with our novel decomposition technique, such as manufacturing and recycling, basic metal, and rubber. These findings indicate that these countries have started to diversify industries from their traditional sectors, which resembles the flying geese model.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2193-2409
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spelling doaj-art-77ecea9dbd174fc282b76cc37060aff72025-08-20T03:42:34ZengSpringerOpenJournal of Economic Structures2193-24092025-07-0114112710.1186/s40008-025-00355-4Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?Muhammad Tashfiq Huq0Masaru Ichihashi1Graduate School for Humanities & Social Sciences, Hiroshima UniversityGraduate School for Humanities & Social Sciences, Hiroshima UniversityAbstract According to the classical theory of economic development, as in Akamatsu’s flying geese model, many countries should exhibit similar development patterns from agriculture-based sectors to processed or labor-intensive industries as a long-run trend. This paper identifies some common development patterns in 6 Asian lower-income developing countries (LIDCs) to confirm Flying Geese model for South and Southeast Asia, using three periods of the input‒output table with a novel decomposition technique derived from a conventional method. Our results show that labor-intensive and light manufacturing sectors, along with some high-value-added service sectors, are the most promising sectors in these countries. Food, basic metal and textiles in manufacturing and construction, electricity and transport in service are commonly growing in most countries. Among our targeted Asian countries, only Vietnam has been developing many diversified sectors in manufacturing from traditional labor-intensive sectors to highly technology-oriented sectors. This means that Vietnam might achieve an advanced stage faster than other Asian countries. In addition, we have found some prospective accelerating sectors in these countries with our novel decomposition technique, such as manufacturing and recycling, basic metal, and rubber. These findings indicate that these countries have started to diversify industries from their traditional sectors, which resembles the flying geese model.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40008-025-00355-4Structural changeInput–output analysisEconomic Development in Asian EconomiesFlying geese model
spellingShingle Muhammad Tashfiq Huq
Masaru Ichihashi
Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?
Journal of Economic Structures
Structural change
Input–output analysis
Economic Development in Asian Economies
Flying geese model
title Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?
title_full Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?
title_fullStr Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?
title_full_unstemmed Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?
title_short Can historical economic growth patterns be traced in South and Southeast Asian countries as the classical theory suggests?
title_sort can historical economic growth patterns be traced in south and southeast asian countries as the classical theory suggests
topic Structural change
Input–output analysis
Economic Development in Asian Economies
Flying geese model
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40008-025-00355-4
work_keys_str_mv AT muhammadtashfiqhuq canhistoricaleconomicgrowthpatternsbetracedinsouthandsoutheastasiancountriesastheclassicaltheorysuggests
AT masaruichihashi canhistoricaleconomicgrowthpatternsbetracedinsouthandsoutheastasiancountriesastheclassicaltheorysuggests