IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v14y2024i2p21582440241243254.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

External Debt and Economic Growth: Does the Role of Governance Matter in Emerging Countries?

Author

Listed:
  • Arjun
  • Bibhuti Ranjan Mishra

Abstract

This study empirically investigates the impact of external debt on economic growth, and assesses whether institutional quality matters for this influence, using data from 18 emerging countries during 1996 to 2020. The findings indicate that although an upsurge in external debt negatively affects economic growth, this impact is mitigated when there is an improvement in institutional quality, as reflected by three governance indicators: anti-corruption perception, voice and accountability, and perceptions of the rule of law. However, other three governance indicators (political stability, government effectiveness, and regulatory quality) failed to affect the economic growth favorably. These results have important implications for policymakers in emerging countries who are currently facing major fiscal and external imbalances due to high expenditure on military goods/thigh cost of war, decrease in trade, and financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Arjun & Bibhuti Ranjan Mishra, 2024. "External Debt and Economic Growth: Does the Role of Governance Matter in Emerging Countries?," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:14:y:2024:i:2:p:21582440241243254
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440241243254
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440241243254
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/21582440241243254?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. Jaejoon Woo & Manmohan S. Kumar, 2015. "Public Debt and Growth," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82(328), pages 705-739, October.
    2. Sokbae Lee & Hyunmin Park & Myung Hwan Seo & Youngki Shin, 2017. "Testing for a Debt‐Threshold Effect on Output Growth," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 38, pages 701-717, December.
    3. Roubini, Nouriel & Sachs, Jeffrey D., 1989. "Political and economic determinants of budget deficits in the industrial democracies," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 903-933, May.
    4. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    5. Joakim Westerlund, 2007. "Testing for Error Correction in Panel Data," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 69(6), pages 709-748, December.
    6. Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2010. "Growth in a Time of Debt," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(2), pages 573-578, May.
    7. Cooray, Arusha & Dzhumashev, Ratbek & Schneider, Friedrich, 2017. "How Does Corruption Affect Public Debt? An Empirical Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 115-127.
    8. Presbitero, Andrea F., 2008. "The Debt-Growth Nexus in Poor Countries: A Reassessment," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 2, pages 1-28.
    9. Dumitrescu, Elena-Ivona & Hurlin, Christophe, 2012. "Testing for Granger non-causality in heterogeneous panels," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 1450-1460.
    10. Fisayo Fagbemi, 2020. "Assessing the Role of Governance in West African Fiscal Performance," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 65(1), pages 97-122, March.
    11. Samson Edo & Nneka Esther Osadolor & Isuwa Festus Dading, 2020. "Growing external debt and declining export: The concurrent impediments in economic growth of Sub-Saharan African countries," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 161, pages 173-187.
    12. Ferrarini, Benno, 2008. "Proposal for a Contingency Debt Sustainability Framework," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2547-2565, December.
    13. Laurent Kemoe & Emmanuel K.K. Lartey, 2022. "Public debt, institutional quality and growth in sub-Saharan Africa: a threshold analysis," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 222-244, March.
    14. Andrew Williams & Abu Siddique, 2008. "The use (and abuse) of governance indicators in economics: a review," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 131-175, May.
    15. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2020. "The economic impacts of learning losses," OECD Education Working Papers 225, OECD Publishing.
    16. A. A. Kilishi & H. I. Mobolaji & M. A. Yaru & A. T. Yakubu, 2013. "Institutions and Economic Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 15(2), pages 91-120.
    17. Andrea F Presbitero, 2012. "Total Public Debt and Growth in Developing Countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 24(4), pages 606-626, September.
    18. 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.
    19. repec:eco:journ1:2014-02-19 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Moshammer, Edmund & Pierluigi, Beatrice & Masuch, Klaus, 2016. "Institutions, public debt and growth in Europe," Working Paper Series 1963, European Central Bank.
    21. Eunji Kim & Yoonhee Ha & Sangheon Kim, 2017. "Public Debt, Corruption and Sustainable Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-30, March.
    22. Jerry A. Hausman, 1979. "Individual Discount Rates and the Purchase and Utilization of Energy-Using Durables," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 10(1), pages 33-54, Spring.
    23. Antonio Savoia & Kunal Sen, 2015. "Measurement, Evolution, Determinants, And Consequences Of State Capacity: A Review Of Recent Research," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 441-458, July.
    24. Shujaat Abbas & Shahida Wizarat & Sadia Mansoor, 2020. "External Debt Distress in South Asia: Evidence from Panel Data Analysis," South Asian Journal of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, , vol. 9(2), pages 221-236, December.
    25. Checherita-Westphal, Cristina & Rother, Philipp, 2012. "The impact of high government debt on economic growth and its channels: An empirical investigation for the euro area," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(7), pages 1392-1405.
    26. Kaufmann, Daniel & Kraay, Aart & Mastruzzi, Massimo, 2010. "The worldwide governance indicators : methodology and analytical issues," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5430, The World Bank.
    27. Daniel Kaufmann & Aart Kraay & Massimo Mastruzzi, 2010. "Response to ‘What do the Worldwide Governance Indicators Measure?’," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 22(1), pages 55-58, February.
    28. Kharusi, Sami Al & Ada, Mbah Stella, 2018. "External Debt and Economic Growth : The Case of Emerging Economy," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 33(1), pages 1141-1157.
    29. Tito Cordella & Luca Antonio Ricci & Marta Ruiz-Arranz, 2010. "Debt Overhang or Debt Irrelevance?," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 57(1), pages 1-24, April.
    30. Charles O Manasseh & Felicia C Abada & Ebelechukwu L Okiche & Ogochukwu Okanya & Ifeoma C Nwakoby & Peter Offu & Anuli R Ogbuagu & Chiedozie O Okafor & Paul C Obidike & Nnenna G Nwonye, 2022. "External debt and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does governance matter?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-28, March.
    31. Asiedu, Elizabeth, 2003. "Debt relief and institutional reform: a focus on Heavily Indebted Poor Countries," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 614-626.
    32. Erdal Karagol, 2002. "The Causality Analysis of External Debt Service and GNP : The Case of Turkey," Central Bank Review, Research and Monetary Policy Department, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, vol. 2(1), pages 39-64.
    33. Brian Tavonga Mazorodze, 2020. "Re-visiting the External Debt-Economic Growth Question in Zimbabwe," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 12(2), pages 1-8.
    34. 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.
    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. Attard, Juergen, 2019. "Public Debt and Economic Growth nexus: A Dynamic Panel ARDL approach," MPRA Paper 96023, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Qamar Abbas & Li Junqing & Muhammad Ramzan & Sumbal Fatima, 2021. "Role of Governance in Debt-Growth Relationship: Evidence from Panel Data Estimations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Boukhatem, Jamel & Kaabi, Malèk, 2015. "Dette publique, qualité institutionnelle et croissance économique dans les pays de la région MENA : analyse par la méthode des moments généralisés [Public debt, institutional quality and economic g," MPRA Paper 65756, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 23 Jul 2015.
    4. Dimitrios Asteriou & Keith Pilbeam & Cecilia Eny Pratiwi, 2021. "Public debt and economic growth: panel data evidence for Asian countries," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 45(2), pages 270-287, April.
    5. Marta Gómez-Puig & Simón Sosvilla-Rivero & Inmaculada Martínez-Zarzoso, 2019. "Re-examining the debt-growth nexus: A grouped fixed-effect approach," Documentos de Trabajo del ICAE 2019-21, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Instituto Complutense de Análisis Económico.
    6. Mindaugas Butkus & Janina Seputiene, 2018. "Growth Effect of Public Debt: The Role of Government Effectiveness and Trade Balance," Economies, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-27, November.
    7. Kassouri, Yacouba & Altıntaş, Halil & Alancioğlu, Erdal & Kacou, Kacou Yves Thierry, 2021. "New insights on the debt-growth nexus: A combination of the interactive fixed effects and panel threshold approach," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 40-55.
    8. Andrea F Presbitero, 2012. "Total Public Debt and Growth in Developing Countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 24(4), pages 606-626, September.
    9. Ijaz Uddin & Muhammad Azam Khan, 2024. "Global Evidence on the Impact of Globalization, Governance, and Financial Development on Economic Growth," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 14546-14577, September.
    10. Chowdhury, Mohammad Ashraful Ferdous & Prince, Ehsanur Rauf & Shoyeb, Mohammad & Abdullah, Mohammad, 2024. "The threshold effect of institutional quality on sovereign debt and economic stability," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 39-59.
    11. Markus Eberhardt & Andrea Filippo Presbitero, 2013. "This Time They're Different: Heterogeneity;and Nonlinearity in the Relationship;between Debt and Growth," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 92, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    12. Gopal Prasad Bhatta, PhD & Anu Mishra, 2020. "Estimating Optimum Growth-Maximizing Public Debt Threshold for Nepal," NRB Economic Review, Nepal Rastra Bank, Economic Research Department, vol. 32(2), pages 1-28, October.
    13. Ben Ltaief, Leila, 2014. "Dette publique et croissance économique : investigation empirique pour la zone euro, l’Union européenne et les pays avancés," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 90(2), pages 79-103, Juin.
    14. Khansa Zaman & Muhammad Saeed Rana & Umer Iftikhar, 2019. "A Multilevel Analysis of Job Demands and Intention to Resign Through Perceived Service Recovery Performance," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 11(2), pages 67-82, June.
    15. Gómez-Puig, Marta & Sosvilla-Rivero, Simón, 2017. "Heterogeneity in the debt-growth nexus: Evidence from EMU countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 470-486.
    16. Brian Tavonga Mazorodze, 2020. "Re-visiting the External Debt-Economic Growth Question in Zimbabwe," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 12(2), pages 1-8.
    17. Adewale Hassan & Daniel Meyer, 2021. "Exploring the Channels of Transmission between External Debt and Economic Growth: Evidence from Sub-Saharan African Countries," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-16, April.
    18. Ugo Panizza & Andrea F. Presbitero, 2013. "Public Debt and Economic Growth in Advanced Economies: A Survey," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 149(II), pages 175-204, June.
    19. Markus Eberhardt, 2013. "Nonlinearities in the Relationship between Debt and Growth: Evidence from Co-Summability Testing," Discussion Papers 2013/06, University of Nottingham, Centre for Finance, Credit and Macroeconomics (CFCM).
    20. Panizza, Ugo & Presbitero, Andrea F., 2014. "Public debt and economic growth: Is there a causal effect?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 21-41.

    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:sae:sagope:v:14:y:2024:i:2:p:21582440241243254. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.