This work analyses the dynamics of Per Capita Income, Literacy Rates, Years of Study and Life Expectation distributions on Brazilian municipalities. The estimation of transition matrices modeled the national, regional and intra-regional convergence pattern for the period from 1970 to 2000. The many changes in the Brazilian municipality structure demanded the grouping of municipalities into Minimal Comparable Areas (MCA). The estimations revealed two important results: a) convergence for the variables related to education, but convergence in clubs for Longevity and Per Capita Income; b) the low Per Capita Income club, formed by the North and Northeast MCA, presented approximately one third of the long term Per Capita Income in the high income club, formed by the Center-West, South and Southeast.
regional development; convergency clubs; distribution dynamics; non-parametric methods
