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Human Learning and Modern Economic growth: What is the Connection?

Author

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  • Gianpaolo Mariutti

    (Department of Economics (University of Verona))

Abstract

This article connects economic growth and human learning in historical perspective. It does so by confronting figures for almost two centuries (1820-1990) of GDP per capita and formal learning (mainly literacy) for a group of countries (19) that are nowadays rich. In the last decades of this long period, the selected sample has been enlarged including also nowadays poor countries. Some regularities emerge from the empirical evidence. Human learning has become an essential factor of economic growth. It was not so at the beginning of the Industrial revolution, in the first decades of the XIX century. As time went by, it has moved from being a sufficient factor of economic growth, to a necessary factor of growth. This means that there no countries nowadays rich in income that were not before rich in literacy. The capital factor, by contrast, shows during the same time span a reverse pattern. Among other things this offers interesting hints to look critically and creatively at the theory of growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianpaolo Mariutti, 2015. "Human Learning and Modern Economic growth: What is the Connection?," Working Papers 31/2015, University of Verona, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ver:wpaper:31/2015
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic Growth; Human learning; Literacy; Long run;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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