FOREIGN AID AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: NEW EVIDENCE FROM PANEL COINTEGRATION

Abstract

The relationship between foreign aid and economic growth is investigated for a panel of developing countries (Botswana, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Sri-Lanka, and Tanzania) over the period 1974-1996. The results reveal that the variables contain a panel unit root and they cointegrate in a panel perspective. The long-run elasticities (close to one for most countries) show that foreign aid has a positive and significant effect on economic activity for each country in the sample. A policy implication which may be drawn from the study is that foreign capital flows can have a favorable effect on real income by supplementing domestic savings.