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Test scores and economic growth: update and extension

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  • Gabriel Heller-Sahlgren
  • Henrik Jordahl

Abstract

Research indicates that education quality – measured by test scores in international student surveys – predicts economic growth. In this paper, we extend previous findings up to 2016 and analyse test scores of upper-secondary school students only. We find that the positive relationship between growth and test scores holds in both cases. The share of top-performing students exhibits a stronger correlation with economic growth than does the share of students who meet basic requirements.

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  • Gabriel Heller-Sahlgren & Henrik Jordahl, 2024. "Test scores and economic growth: update and extension," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(11), pages 1024-1027, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:apeclt:v:31:y:2024:i:11:p:1024-1027
    DOI: 10.1080/13504851.2023.2168604
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eric Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2012. "Do better schools lead to more growth? Cognitive skills, economic outcomes, and causation," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 267-321, December.
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    3. Castelló-Climent, Amparo & Hidalgo-Cabrillana, Ana, 2012. "The role of educational quality and quantity in the process of economic development," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 391-409.
    4. Nicola Gennaioli & Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 2013. "Human Capital and Regional Development," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 128(1), pages 105-164.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hammed Musibau & Joaquin Vespignani & Maria Belen Yanotti, 2024. "Education Quality and Economic Growth: A New International Measure of Quality of Education," CAMA Working Papers 2024-72, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    2. Juan Manuel Ocegueda Hernández & Marco Tulio Ocegueda Hernández, 2024. "La calidad del capital humano y el crecimiento económico de México/The quality of human capital and economic growth in Mexico," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 39(2), pages 311–348-3.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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