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Where Did All the Aid Go? An Empirical Analysis of Absorption and Spending

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  • Mr. Shekhar Aiyar
  • Ummul Hasanath Ruthbah

Abstract

This paper examines the macroeconomic usage of aid using panel data for a broad sample of aid-recipients. By definition an increase in aid must go toward a reduction in the current account balance (absorbed aid), an increase in capital outflows, or reserve accumulation. It is found that short-run absorption is typically very low, with much aid exiting through the capital account. Moreover, aid spending, defined in terms of the increase in government fiscal expenditures as a result of aid, is significantly greater than aid absorption, implying that aid systematically leads to an injection of domestic liquidity in recipient economies. The evidence here may help illuminate the rather weak link between aid and growth found in the literature. It reinforces the case for greater coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities in response to aid inflows.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Shekhar Aiyar & Ummul Hasanath Ruthbah, 2008. "Where Did All the Aid Go? An Empirical Analysis of Absorption and Spending," IMF Working Papers 2008/034, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2008/034
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Temple, Jonathan & Van de Sijpe, Nicolas, 2017. "Foreign aid and domestic absorption," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 431-443.
    2. Berg, Andrew & Portillo, Rafael & Zanna, Luis-Felipe, 2015. "Policy Responses to Aid Surges in Countries with Limited International Capital Mobility: The Role of the Exchange Rate Regime," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 116-129.
    3. Pedro M. G. Martins, 2010. "Aid Absorption and Spending in Africa: A Panel Cointegration Approach," Working Paper Series 1010, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    4. Eric Gabin Kilama, 2014. "Recipients aid absorption in the new development cooperation landscape," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(3), pages 1929-1944.
    5. Kwabena Gyimah-Brempong & Jeffrey S. Racine, 2014. "Aid and Economic Growth: A Robust Approach," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 16(1), pages 1-35.
    6. Hendrik W. Kruse & Inmaculada Martínez‐Zarzoso, 2021. "Transfers in the gravity equation," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 410-442, February.
    7. Zoundi, Zakaria, 2015. "The Absorption and Spending Capacity of Aid in the Economic Community of West African States," MPRA Paper 66736, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 23 Aug 2015.
    8. Djedje Hermann Yohou & Michaël Goujon & Bertrand Laporte & Samuel Guérineau, 2016. "Is Aid Unfriendly to Tax? African Evidence of Heterogeneous Direct and Indirect Effects," Working Papers halshs-01321620, HAL.
    9. Henrik Hansen & Derek Headey, 2010. "The Short-Run Macroeconomic Impact of Foreign Aid to Small States: An Agnostic Time Series Analysis," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(5), pages 877-896.
    10. Carter Patrick, 2013. "Does Foreign Aid Displace Domestic Taxation?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-47, August.
    11. Henri Bezuidenhout, 2009. "A Regional Perspective on Aid and FDI in Southern Africa," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 15(3), pages 310-321, August.
    12. repec:kap:iaecre:v:15:y:2009:i:3:p:310-321 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Ugo Panizza, 2008. "The External Debt Contentious Six Years after the Monterrey Consensus," G-24 Discussion Papers 51, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    14. Shonchoy, Abu S., 2010. "The dynamics of spending and absorption of aid : panel data analysis," IDE Discussion Papers 245, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    15. Pedro M G Martins, 2010. "Aid Absorption and Spending in Africa: A Panel Cointegration Approach," Discussion Papers 10/06, University of Nottingham, CREDIT.
    16. Temple, Jonathan R.W., 2010. "Aid and Conditionality," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4415-4523, Elsevier.
    17. Zoundi, Zakaria, 2015. "On The Trade-Off Between Welfare and Peace: Evidence from West African Countries Using a Quantile Regression," MPRA Paper 79776, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2016.

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    Keywords

    WP; GDP; current account; Mean GDP;
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