Is per capita real GDP stationary in China? Sequential panel selection method

•Time series properties of per capita real GDP in China is investigated.•Sequential Panel Selection Method (SPSM) using the Panel KSS test with a Fourier function is applied.•Data on 31 Chinese provinces over the period of 1979 to 2009•A novel approach to panel unit testing•Results indicate that the per capita real GDP are non-stationary.

This paper investigates the time-series properties of per capita real GDP in China. The Sequential Panel Selection Method (SPSM) using the Panel KSS test with a Fourier function, a novel approach to panel unit testing, is applied to the data on 31 Chinese provinces over the period of 1979 to 2009. The SPSM classifies the whole panel into the group of stationary and non-stationary series, which identifies how many and which series are characterized by stationary processes. The results indicate that the per capita real GDP are non-stationary in all of these 31 regions in China, providing important policy implications.