Detecting distinctive structural changes in economic data

Abstract

This article introduces a novel method for detecting distinctive structural changes in economic data, particularly within frequency distribution tables. The approach identifies significant shifts in the distribution of a variable over time or across populations, capturing changes in category shares, enabling a deeper understanding of the underlying dynamics and trends. The method is applicable to both categorical and numerical data and is especially useful in fields such as industrial economics, demography, social science and market analysis, where comparative analysis is essential. Selected numerical examples illustrate its effectiveness in tracking market structure evolution, where shifts in firm-level market shares may signal changing competitive dynamics. The results offer interpretable insights into structural transformations in economic systems.