Globalisation in the 21st Century: Measuring Regional Changes in Multiple Domains

Abstract

It is clear that globalisation is something more than a purely economic phenomenon manifesting itself on a global scale. Among the visible manifestations of globalisation are the greater international movement of goods and services, financial capital, information and people. In addition, there are technological developments, more international cultural exchanges, facilitated by the freer trade of more differentiated products as well as by tourism and immigration, changes in the political landscape and ecological consequences. To be in a position to evaluate the consequences of globalisation in a rational and scientific manner, objective indicators are needed. In this paper, we have updated and improved upon the Maastricht Globalisation Index. This index measures the economic, social-cultural, technological, ecological and political dimensions of globalisation and allows comparison of the degree and change in globalisation for a large number of countries.