IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aid/journl/v3y2020i2p43-60.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Nexus between Education and Economic Growth: Analyzing Empirically a Case of Middle-Income Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Lamia Jamel

    (Department of Finance and Economics, College of Business Administration, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia)

  • Monia Ben Ltaifa

    (Human Resource Department, Community College in Abqaiq, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia)

  • Ahmed K Elnagar

    (Department of Administrative and Financial Sciences and Techniques, Community College, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia; Suez Canal University, Egypt)

  • Abdelkader Derbali

    (Department of Administrative and Financial Sciences and Techniques, Community College, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia; Department of Management Sciences, Higher Institute of Informatics and Management of Kairouan, Kairouan University, Tunisia)

  • Ali Lamouchi

    (College of Business Administration in Al Rass, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the nexus between education accumulation and economic growth for a sample of middle-income countries through panel data regressions. The sample consists of 28 middle-income countries from various continents: North Africa and the Middle East (6 countries), sub-Saharan Africa (7 countries), Latin America and the Caribbean (8 countries), East Asia and the Pacific (3 countries), and Europe and Central Asia (4 countries). Education is measured by quantitative (average years of labour force study) and qualitative indicators (student scores on international assessments of educational achievements). To test the impact of education accumulation on GDP per capita growth, a static panel is used during the period of study from 1970 to 2014. A dynamic panel is also being developed to estimate the effect of the education stock on the growth rate of GDP per capita. The results confirm the positive and significant impact of the education quantity and quality on economic growth, both in level and variation. The stock of education and its increase are positively affecting the growth. Moreover, this paper’s original findings suggest that the quality of education is more significant than its quantity.

Suggested Citation

  • Lamia Jamel & Monia Ben Ltaifa & Ahmed K Elnagar & Abdelkader Derbali & Ali Lamouchi, 2020. "The Nexus between Education and Economic Growth: Analyzing Empirically a Case of Middle-Income Countries," Virtual Economics, The London Academy of Science and Business, vol. 3(2), pages 43-60, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aid:journl:v:3:y:2020:i:2:p:43-60
    DOI: 10.34021/ve.2020.03.02(3)
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://virtual-economics.eu/index.php/VE/article/download/56/49
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.34021/ve.2020.03.02(3)?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jérôme Vandenbussche & Philippe Aghion & Costas Meghir, 2006. "Growth, distance to frontier and composition of human capital," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 97-127, June.
    2. Benhabib, Jess & Spiegel, Mark M., 1994. "The role of human capital in economic development evidence from aggregate cross-country data," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 143-173, October.
    3. Nehru, Vikram & Swanson, Eric & Dubey, Ashutosh, 1995. "A new database on human capital stock in developing and industrial countries: Sources, methodology, and results," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 379-401, April.
    4. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2008. "The Role of Cognitive Skills in Economic Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(3), pages 607-668, September.
    5. Barro, Robert J. & Lee, Jong-Wha, 2015. "Education Matters: Global Schooling Gains from the 19th to the 21st Century," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199379231.
    6. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2006. "Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 4(1), pages 37-74, March.
    7. Nadir Altinok & Claude Diebolt & Jean-Luc Demeulemeester, 2014. "A new international database on education quality: 1965--2010," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(11), pages 1212-1247, April.
    8. Nazrul Islam, 1995. "Growth Empirics: A Panel Data Approach," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(4), pages 1127-1170.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mara P. Squicciarini & Nico Voigtländer, 2015. "Human Capital and Industrialization: Evidence from the Age of Enlightenment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 130(4), pages 1825-1883.
    2. Lisa Grazzini, 2016. "The Importance of the Quality of Education: Some Determinants and its Effects on Earning Returns and Economic Growth," ECONOMIA PUBBLICA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(2), pages 43-82.
    3. Awaworyi Churchill Sefa & Ugur Mehmet & Yew Siew Ling, 2017. "Government education expenditures and economic growth: a meta-analysis," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Eric Bartelsman & Sabien Dobbelaere & Bettina Peters, 2013. "Allocation of Human Capital and Innovation at the Frontier: Firm-level Evidence on Germany and the Netherlands," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 13-095/VII, Tinbergen Institute.
    5. Oyinlola, Mutiu A. & Adedeji, Abdulfatai A. & Onitekun, Olumide, 2021. "Human capital, innovation, and inclusive growth in sub-Saharan African Region," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 609-625.
    6. Angel De la Fuente, 2011. "Human capital and productivity," Working Papers 1103, BBVA Bank, Economic Research Department.
    7. Teixeira, Aurora A.C. & Queirós, Anabela S.S., 2016. "Economic growth, human capital and structural change: A dynamic panel data analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1636-1648.
    8. Abdul Shaban & Shahbaz Khan, 2023. "Cultural diversity, human capital, and regional economic growth in India," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(5), pages 973-991, June.
    9. Francesco Cinnirella & Jochen Streb, 2017. "The role of human capital and innovation in economic development: evidence from post-Malthusian Prussia," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 193-227, June.
    10. Dr Walid Y Alali, 2010. "Influence the Education Levels on Income Worldwide: Empirical Evidence," Post-Print hal-03960230, HAL.
    11. Tinatin Akhvlediani & Andrzej Cieślik, 2020. "Human capital, technological progress and technology diffusion across Europe: education matters," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 475-493, August.
    12. Julia Bock-Schappelwein & Jürgen Janger & Andreas Reinstaller, 2012. "Bildung 2025 – Die Rolle von Bildung in der österreichischen Wirtschaft," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 45200, August.
    13. Maté Fodor & Jean Luc De Meulemeester & Denis Rochat, 2019. "The Wavering Economic Thought About The Link Between Education And Growth," Working Papers CEB 19-006, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    14. Serge Coulombe & Jean-Francois Tremblay, 2009. "Education, Productivity and Economic Growth: A Selective Review of the Evidence," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 18, pages 3-24, Spring.
    15. Das, Gouranga G. & Drine, Imed, 2020. "Distance from the technology frontier: How could Africa catch-up via socio-institutional factors and human capital?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    16. Md. Rabiul Islam & James B. Ang & Jakob B. Madsen, 2014. "Quality-Adjusted Human Capital And Productivity Growth," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 52(2), pages 757-777, April.
    17. Uwe Sunde & Thomas Vischer, 2015. "Human Capital and Growth: Specification Matters," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82(326), pages 368-390, April.
    18. Yeo, Yeongjun & Lee, Jeong-Dong, 2020. "Revitalizing the race between technology and education: Investigating the growth strategy for the knowledge-based economy based on a CGE analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    19. Ryo Okui & Yutao Sun & Wendun Wang, 2025. "Recovering latent linkage structures and spillover effects with structural breaks in panel data models," Papers 2501.09517, arXiv.org.
    20. Marattin, Luigi & Marzo, Massimiliano & Zagaglia, Paolo, 2013. "Distortionary tax instruments and implementable monetary policy," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 219-243.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aid:journl:v:3:y:2020:i:2:p:43-60. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Aleksy Kwilinski (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/akwilin.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.