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China's Productivity Challenge

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  • Xiaodong Zhu

Abstract

Total factor productivity (TFP) growth has been the primary driver of China's GDP growth. From 1978 to 2007, China experienced an average TFP growth rate of over 4% per year, thanks to economic reforms and decentralization that led to consistent policy and institutional changes initiated from local levels. However, since 2007, the Chinese government has shifted towards a top-down approach, prioritizing policy design at the national level and resource mobilization. While this approach yielded some short-term benefits, such as temporary growth recovery in 2010 following the global financial crisis and the rapid expansion of infrastructure projects, it came at a significant cost to economic efficiency. Without comprehensive bottom-up policy reforms, China's TFP growth rate between 2007 and 2022 averaged only 1% per year, significantly lower than the 4% achieved prior to 2007. The key challenge facing China now is whether it will revert to a decentralized decision-making process.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaodong Zhu, 2024. "China's Productivity Challenge," Working Papers tecipa-771, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tor:tecipa:tecipa-771
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; Bottom-up Institutional Change; TFP; Growth; Centralization; Growth Slowdown;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • O5 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies

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