Foreign Aid And Economic Growth

Published in 1998, this book provides an empirical analysis of the impact of foreign economic aid in 67 developed countries over a 19 year period. The results include the relationships between aid and growth and the implication that methodologies traditionally used have been largely responsible for inconsistent findings in the past.

Published in 1998, this book provides an empirical analysis of the impact of foreign economic aid in 67 developed countries over a 19 year period. The results include the relationships between aid and growth and the implication that methodologies traditionally used have been largely responsible for inconsistent findings in the past.

Published in 1998, this book provides an empirical analysis of the impact of foreign economic aid in 67 developed countries over a 19 year period. The results include the relationships between aid and growth and the implication that methodologies traditionally used have been largely responsible for inconsistent findings in the past.

First published in 1971, this reissue considers the main aspects of foreign aid to developing countries in terms of economic concepts and principles. The author gives an economic definition of aid and considers the motives for giving aid and the principles on which it may be allocated. He looks at the effect on the economic growth of developing countries of both the aid given and the need to repay the debt, and the effect on trade patterns and resource allocation of tying aid to one particular project, or one source of goods. While economic analysis is only a first step in providing a basis for policy decisions on foreign aid, Dr Healey shows that many issues can be clarified by looking at them from the economists’ point of view.

This study has examined sectoral analysis of the impact of foreign aid on aggregate and sectoral economic growth in Ethiopia over the period 1981 to 2012 using Multivariate Vector Auto Regression analysis. All the necessary time series tests such as stationary test, co-integration test, weak exiguity test, vector error correction, and causality test in vector error correction model and the like are conducted. The empirical result from the growth equation shows that aid has a significant positive impact on educational sector GDP growth in the long run. On the other hand, foreign aid has positive but insignificant impact on real GDP growth, agriculture GDP growth, and health sector GDP growth of Ethiopia for the period under consideration. Foreign aid is effective in enhancing economic growth at aggregate level of Ethiopia in general and education sector in particular. The result of the study reveals that there is a bi-directional causal relationship between educational GDP and educational foreign aid in Ethiopia. There is also a unidirectional causality between agricultural aid and agricultural GDP growth. However, the health sector does not show any causality with their respective sector aid. This implies that aid allocated for certain sectors is ineffective in achieving its objectives of economic growth. Therefore, aid recipient country like Ethiopia has to work how to enhance the domestic revenue raising capacity of the country which is at the heart of the mechanism to meet the capital required for the economy in times of short falls and ineffectiveness of external resources.

Peter Hjertholm, Editorial Assistant Aid has worked in the past but can be made to work better in the future. In this important new book, leading economists and political scientists, including experienced aid practitioners, re-examine foreign aid. The evolution of development doctrine over the past fifty years is critically investigated, and conventional wisdom and current practice is challenged. As well as offering important new research material, the book opens up new directions for future practice and policy. It will be of vital interest to those working in economics, politics and development studies, as well as to governmental and aid professionals.