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Ethnic Diversity and Growth: Revisiting the Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • José García-Montalvo
  • Marta Reynal-Querol

Abstract

The relationship between ethnic heterogeneity and economic growth is complex. Empirical research working with cross-country data finds a negative, or statistically insignificant, relationship. However, analysis at city level finds a positive effect of diversity on wages and productivity. Generally, there is a trade-off between the economic benefits of diversity and the costs of heterogeneity. Using cells of fixed size we find that the relationship between diversity and growth is positive for small geographical areas. In the case of Africa, we argue that the explanation is the increase in trade at the boundaries between ethnic groups due to ethnic specialization.

Suggested Citation

  • José García-Montalvo & Marta Reynal-Querol, 2017. "Ethnic Diversity and Growth: Revisiting the Evidence," Working Papers 992, Barcelona School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bge:wpaper:992
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    Cited by:

    1. Vicente Rios & Beatriz Manotas-Hidalgo & Lisa Gianmoena, 2021. "Spatial Inequality, Civil Conflict and Cells: A Dynamic Spatial Probit Approach," Documentos de Trabajo - Lan Gaiak Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra 2110, Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra.
    2. David Chilosi & Stefan Nikolić, 2021. "Vanishing borders: ethnicity and trade costs at the origin of the Yugoslav market," Working Papers 0214, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    3. Joseph Flavian Gomes, 2020. "The health costs of ethnic distance: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 195-226, June.
    4. Eleonora Guarnieri, 2023. "Cultural Distance and Ethnic Civil Conflict," CESifo Working Paper Series 10609, CESifo.
    5. Sefa Awaworyi Churchill & Michael Danquah, 2020. "Ethnic diversity and informal work in Ghana," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-126, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Juan Felipe Riaño & Felipe Valencia Caicedo, 2024. "Collateral Damage: The Legacy of the Secret War in Laos," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(661), pages 2101-2140.
    7. Dieu Ne Dort Talla Fokam & Paul Ningaye & Celestin Chameni Nembua, 2020. "Ethnic Diversity Management and Poverty in Developing Countries," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 19(1), pages 47-60, June.
    8. Manotas-Hidalgo, Beatriz & Pérez-Sebastián, Fidel & Campo-Bescós, Miguel Angel, 2021. "The role of ethnic characteristics in the effect of income shocks on African conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Pham, Huong Dien, 2017. "Do cultural factors alter the relationship between risk attitudes and economic welfare?," TVSEP Working Papers wp-003, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Project TVSEP.
    10. Pablo Ponce & Nathalie Aguirre-Padilla & Cristiana Oliveira & José Álvarez-García & María de la Cruz del Río-Rama, 2020. "The Spatial Externalities of Tourism Activities in Poverty Reduction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-17, July.
    11. N. I. Suslov & E. N. Isupova & A. I. Ivanova, 2022. "Ethnic Diversity in Russian Regions and Economic Growth: Theoretical Model and Its Approbation on Panel Data," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 149-156, April.
    12. Elizalde, Aldo & Hidalgo, Eduardo & Salgado, Nayeli, 2023. "Public good or public bad? Indigenous institutions and the demand for public goods," QUCEH Working Paper Series 23-01, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    13. Mª Ángeles Caraballo & Eva Mª Buitrago, 2019. "Ethnolinguistic Diversity and Education. A Successful Pairing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-18, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ethnic diversity; economic growth; spatial analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • N17 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Africa; Oceania
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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