IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/beo/journl/v69y2024i241p7-39.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Insurance and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa: Institutional quality threshold effect

Author

Listed:
  • Akinlo Taiwo
  • Idachaba Daniel Adukwu

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of institutional quality institutional quality on the relationship between the extent of both non-life insurance and life insurance and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper employs a dynamic threshold model for the analysis of a panel of data consisting of 34 countries over the period 1990 to 2017. The findings of the research reveal that non-life insurance exerts an significant effect on economic growth when the level of institutional quality institutional quality is high, while the association becomes insignificant when the level of institutional quality institutional quality is low. In contrast, the effect of life insurance on economic growth is insignificant at both at high and low levels of institutional quality. The paper also considered the effect of the different types of insurance in both low- and middle-income countries in the sub-Saharan region. Overall, the paper emphasises the important role of non-life insurance in enhancing economic growth, and the dependence of this effect on the level of institutional quality in a country.

Suggested Citation

  • Akinlo Taiwo & Idachaba Daniel Adukwu, 2024. "Insurance and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa: Institutional quality threshold effect," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 69(241), pages 7-39, April – J.
  • Handle: RePEc:beo:journl:v:69:y:2024:i:241:p:7-39
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.ekof.bg.ac.rs/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/241-01.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Balcilar, Mehmet & Gupta, Rangan & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Olasehinde-Williams, Godwin, 2018. "The synergistic effect of insurance and banking sector activities on economic growth in Africa," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 637-648.
    2. Bruce E. Hansen, 2000. "Sample Splitting and Threshold Estimation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 68(3), pages 575-604, May.
    3. Safet Kozarevic & Laura Peressin & Giorgio Valentinuz, 2013. "Efficiency of the Transition of Insurance Markets in South-Eastern European Post-Communist Countries," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 11(2), pages 139-164.
    4. Mike Adams & Jonas Andersson & Lars-Fredrik Andersson & Magnus Lindmark, 2009. "Commercial banking, insurance and economic growth in Sweden between 1830 and 1998," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 21-38.
    5. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    6. Caner, Mehmet & Hansen, Bruce E., 2004. "Instrumental Variable Estimation Of A Threshold Model," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(5), pages 813-843, October.
    7. David Kelsey & Sara le Roux, 2018. "Strategic ambiguity and decision-making: an experimental study," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 84(3), pages 387-404, May.
    8. Hansen, Bruce E., 1999. "Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels: Estimation, testing, and inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 345-368, December.
    9. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Lee, Chi-Chuan & Chiu, Yi-Bin, 2013. "The link between life insurance activities and economic growth: Some new evidence," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 405-427.
    10. J. François Outreville, 2011. "The relationship between insurance growth and economic development - 80 empirical papers for a review of the literature," ICER Working Papers 12-2011, ICER - International Centre for Economic Research.
    11. Im, Kyung So & Pesaran, M. Hashem & Shin, Yongcheol, 2003. "Testing for unit roots in heterogeneous panels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 53-74, July.
    12. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Chang, Chi-Hung & Arouri, Mohamed & Lee, Chi-Chuan, 2016. "Economic growth and insurance development: The role of institutional environments," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 361-369.
    13. Beenstock, Michael & Dickinson, Gerry & Khajuria, Sajay, 1986. "The determination of life premiums: An international cross-section analysis 1970-1981," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 261-270, October.
    14. Thorsten Beck & Ian Webb, 2003. "Economic, Demographic, and Institutional Determinants of Life Insurance Consumption across Countries," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 17(1), pages 51-88, June.
    15. Daniel Sakyi & John Egyir, 2017. "Effects of trade and FDI on economic growth in Africa: an empirical investigation," Transnational Corporations Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(2), pages 66-87, April.
    16. G. S. Maddala & Shaowen Wu, 1999. "A Comparative Study of Unit Root Tests with Panel Data and a New Simple Test," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 61(S1), pages 631-652, November.
    17. Pagano, Marco, 1993. "Financial markets and growth: An overview," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(2-3), pages 613-622, April.
    18. Edward L. Glaeser & Gary S. Becker & Kevin M. Murphy, 1999. "Population and Economic Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(2), pages 145-149, May.
    19. David Kelsey & Sara Le Roux, 2017. "Dragon Slaying with Ambiguity: Theory and Experiments," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 19(1), pages 178-197, February.
    20. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    21. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Chiu, Yi-Bin & Chang, Chi-Hung, 2013. "Insurance demand and country risks: A nonlinear panel data analysis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 68-85.
    22. Anwar, Sajid & Cooray, Arusha, 2012. "Financial development, political rights, civil liberties and economic growth: Evidence from South Asia," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 974-981.
    23. Apergis, Nicholas & Poufinas, Thomas, 2020. "The role of insurance growth in economic growth: Fresh evidence from a panel of OECD countries," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    24. Levin, Andrew & Lin, Chien-Fu & James Chu, Chia-Shang, 2002. "Unit root tests in panel data: asymptotic and finite-sample properties," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 1-24, May.
    25. Pei‐Fen Chen & Chien‐Chiang Lee & Chi‐Feng Lee, 2012. "How does the development of the life insurance market affect economic growth? Some international evidence," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(7), pages 865-893, October.
    26. repec:bla:obuest:v:61:y:1999:i:0:p:631-52 is not listed on IDEAS
    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. Rudra P. Pradhan, Mak B. Arvin, John H. Hall and Neville R. Norman, 2017. "Insurance Market Development and Macroeconomic Interactions in Twenty-Six Countries," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 42(4), pages 23-57, December.
    2. Pradhan, Rudra P. & Arvin, Mak B. & Norman, Neville R., 2015. "Insurance development and the finance-growth nexus: Evidence from 34 OECD countries," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 1-22.
    3. Rudra P. Pradhan & Mak B. Arvin & Sahar Bahmani & Sara E. Bennett & John H. Hall, 2017. "Insurance–growth nexus and macroeconomic determinants: evidence from middle-income countries," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1337-1366, June.
    4. Pradhan, Rudra P. & Arvin, Mak B. & Nair, Mahendhiran & Hall, John H. & Gupta, Atul, 2017. "Is there a link between economic growth and insurance and banking sector activities in the G-20 countries?," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 12-28.
    5. Hajamini, Mehdi & Falahi, Mohammad Ali, 2018. "Economic growth and government size in developed European countries: A panel threshold approach," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1-13.
    6. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2020. "Insurance Policy Thresholds for Economic Growth in Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 672-689, July.
    7. Samargandi, Nahla & Fidrmuc, Jan & Ghosh, Sugata, 2015. "Is the Relationship Between Financial Development and Economic Growth Monotonic? Evidence from a Sample of Middle-Income Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 66-81.
    8. Pradhan, Rudra P. & Arvin, B. Mak & Norman, Neville R. & Nair, Mahendhiran & Hall, John H., 2016. "Insurance penetration and economic growth nexus: Cross-country evidence from ASEAN," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 447-458.
    9. Rudra P. Pradhan & Saurav Dash & Rana Pratap Maradana & Manju Jayakumar & Kunal Gaurav, 2017. "Insurance market density and economic growth in Eurozone countries: the granger causality approach," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 3(1), pages 1-24, December.
    10. Hajamini, Mehdi, 2015. "The non-linear effect of population growth and linear effect of age structure on per capita income: A threshold dynamic panel structural model," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 43-58.
    11. Afi Etonam Adetou & Komlan Fiodendji, 2019. "Finance, Institutions, Remittances and Economic growth: New Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Threshold Analysis," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(2), pages 1-4.
    12. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2021. "Determinants of renewable energy consumption: Importance of democratic institutions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 75-83.
    13. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2020. "Renewable energy consumption and economic growth nexus: Evidence from a threshold model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    14. Clement Olalekan Olaniyi & Sunday Idowu Oladeji, 2021. "Moderating the effect of institutional quality on the finance–growth nexus: insights from West African countries," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 43-74, February.
    15. Pradhan, Rudra P. & Arvin, Mak B. & Nair, Mahendhiran & Bennett, Sara E., 2020. "Unveiling the causal relationships among banking competition, stock and insurance market development, and economic growth in Europe," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 74-87.
    16. Alessio Ciarlone, 2019. "The relationship between financial development and growth: the case of emerging Europe," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 521, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    17. Aydin, Celil & Esen, Ömer, 2018. "Does the level of energy intensity matter in the effect of energy consumption on the growth of transition economies? Evidence from dynamic panel threshold analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 185-195.
    18. Abdulnasser Hatemi‐J & Chi‐Chuan Lee & Chien‐Chiang Lee & Rangan Gupta, 2019. "Insurance activity and economic performance: Fresh evidence from asymmetric panel causality tests," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 221-240, August.
    19. Chen, Jinzhao & Quang, Thérèse, 2014. "The impact of international financial integration on economic growth: New evidence on threshold effects," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 475-489.
    20. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Chiu, Yi-Bin & Chang, Chi-Hung, 2013. "Insurance demand and country risks: A nonlinear panel data analysis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 68-85.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    insurance development; institutional quality; threshold regression; economic growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O2 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:beo:journl:v:69:y:2024:i:241:p:7-39. 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: Goran Petrić (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/efbeoyu.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.