Investigating the impact of FDI on regional economic misery – A nonlinear panel data analysis

The present study uses fixed effect models, random effect models, and the System Generalized Method of Moments technique for the period 2002–2021 to analyze the drivers of economic misery in six distinct regions around the world with a total of 198 nations. The objective of this study is to analyze the factors contributing to economic misery, specifically, the impact of political stability, broad money growth, imports relative to exports, foreign direct investment, and gross national expenditure. The estimated result demonstrates that the causes of economic misery vary in nature across different regions of the world. Political stability lessened economic misery across all six regions. In four regions, broad money growth has decreased economic misery. The imports relative to exports had decreased economic misery in five regions. In all six regions, the level of economic misery grew with gross national expenditure. FDI inflow decreased economic misery in four regions, although the relationship between FDI and economic misery is found to be nonlinear. Policymakers need to take into account the particular connection between economic misery and FDI because this relationship can have a different nature depending on the particular region. Moreover, they should understand the main factors contributing to economic misery in their particular region so that they can make an effective policy mechanism.