Structural clusters and income gaps: how technology and security shape economic outcomes

This study looks at how technological diffusion and security infrastructure shape
economic development, with GDP per capita as the main outcome measure. The aim is to
explain why income levels and growth trajectories differ across advanced, transitional, and
developing economies — and what structural features drive those differences. The approach
mixes inductive and deductive reasoning, using both statistical inference and econometric
modelling. Cluster analysis groups countries by structural characteristics; comparative tests
then assess how those clusters differ. Econometric models examine the specific relationships
between technological diffusion, security infrastructure, and income levels. The paper's main
contribution is methodological: it combines statistical and econometric tools that are often
used separately. Focusing on digital and institutional variables offers a more concrete lens
for understanding systemic economic differences — one that researchers and policymakers
can apply across very different country contexts.
Key words: GDP per capita, income levels, economic development, structural
features, technological diffusion, security infrastructure.