The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Economic Convergence Between Developed and Developing Nations

This study investigates convergence between developed and developing countries’ GDP during the pre-COVID-19 era (1960-2019) and post-COVID-19 era (2020-2023) using World Bank data and the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test. For the pre-COVID period, results show no significant convergence, with an ADF statistic of −1.78 and a P = 0.39, likely due to disparities in industrialization and governance. Similarly, post-COVID results (ADF statistic −1.2, P = 0.67) also suggest no convergence, possibly exacerbated by pandemic-related challenges. The study highlights that structural barriers and the pandemic have hindered economic convergence.