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Does Social Spending Improve Welfare in Low†income and Middle†income Countries?

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  • Fiseha Haile
  • Miguel Niño†Zarazúa

Abstract

Over the past two decades, there has been unprecedented attention to the promotion of human development via government spending in the social sectors as a conditio sine qua non for economic growth and improved aggregate welfare. Yet the existing evidence on the subject remains limited and contested. This paper contributes to the literature by examining the causal effect of government spending on the social sectors (health, education and social protection) on three measures of aggregate welfare: the Human Development Index, the Inequality†adjusted Human Development Index and child mortality rates, using longitudinal data from 55 low†income and middle†income countries from 1990 to 2009. We find strong evidence to support the proposition that government social spending has played a significant role in improving aggregate welfare in the developing world. Our results are fairly robust to, inter alia, the method of estimation, the set of control variables and the use of alternative samples and instruments. © 2017 UNU†WIDER. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Fiseha Haile & Miguel Niño†Zarazúa, 2018. "Does Social Spending Improve Welfare in Low†income and Middle†income Countries?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 367-398, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:30:y:2018:i:3:p:367-398
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3326
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcelo Santos & Marta Simões & Sílvia Sousa, 2024. "Health human capital formation in the OECD: Exploring the role of welfare state composition," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 580-610, March.
    2. Anna Magdalena Korzeniowska, 2021. "Heterogeneity of government social spending in European Union countries," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Kristinn Sv. Helgason, 2020. "The economic and political costs of population displacement and their impact on the SDGs and multilateralism," Working Papers 167, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    4. Popova, Daria, 2023. "Impact of equity in social protection spending on income poverty and inequality," Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis Working Paper Series CEMPA10/23, Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    5. Getachew, Yoseph Y. & Turnovsky, Stephen J., 2020. "Redistribution, inequality, and efficiency with credit constraints: Implications for South Africa," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 259-277.
    6. Miranda-Lescano, Ronald & Muinelo-Gallo, Leonel & Roca-Sagales, Oriol, 2024. "Human development and inequalities: The importance of social public spending," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 363-377.
    7. Bernadette O'Hare & Steve G. Hall, 2022. "The Impact of Government Revenue on the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Amplification Potential of Good Governance," Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, vol. 14(2), pages 109-129, June.
    8. Gonzalo Ríos-Vásquez & Hanns de la Fuente-Mella, 2023. "Mathematical Analysis and Modeling of the Factors That Determine the Quality of Life in the City Councils of Chile," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-31, March.
    9. Dante Cardoso & Laura Carvalho & Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Luiza Nassif-Pires & Fernando Rugitsky & Marina Sanches, 2023. "The Multiplier Effects of Government Expenditures on Social Protection: A Multi-Country Analysis," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2023_11, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    10. Daria Popova, 2023. "Impact of Equity in Social Protection Spending on Income Poverty and Inequality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 697-721, September.
    11. Rashmi Rastogi & Sangeeta Chakravarty & Basanta K. Pradhan, 2019. "GWagner’s Law for Low Income States in India," IEG Working Papers 383, Institute of Economic Growth.
    12. Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel & Santillán Hernández, Alma, 2021. "The political economy of social protection adoption," MPRA Paper 109213, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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