A COMPARISON OF THE ECONOMIC-PERFORMANCE OF DIFFERENT MICRO-STATES, AND BETWEEN MICRO-STATES AND LARGER COUNTRIES

The economic performance of micro-states and those sub-national region s enjoying a high degree of autonomy is a generally under-researched a rea. This paper builds on earlier research (Armstrong and Read, 1995) by employing quantitative techniques to test: (a) the extent to which the economic performance of micro-slates differs, by comparing their G NP per capita with that of the region in which they are located and wi th the countries to which they are adjacent; (b) whether some micro-st ates perform better than others as a result of differences in their ec onomic structure; and (c) whether the rates of growth of micro-stares have been faster or slower than those of larger countries. Considerabl e diversity among micro-states is revealed, although most exhibit stro ng economic performance. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.