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Is informality a barrier to sustainable development?

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  • Gökçer Özgür
  • Ceyhun Elgin
  • Adem Y. Elveren

Abstract

In this article, using a novel, annual cross‐country panel dataset that covers 160 economies from 1950 to 2016, we examine the association between the size of the informal sector and various indicators of sustainable development. The range of indicators encompasses health‐related, economic, environmental, education, and social variables. Our results suggest that the size of the informal sector is negatively associated with GDP per capita, carbon dioxide emissions per capita, education, educational attainment, life expectancy, and access to safe drinking water, and positively related to female labor force participation rate, poverty rates, mortality rates, and air pollution. We also find that these empirical associations significantly interact with GDP per capita, indicating that the effect of larger informal sector size is stronger in less developed economies.

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  • Gökçer Özgür & Ceyhun Elgin & Adem Y. Elveren, 2021. "Is informality a barrier to sustainable development?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 45-65, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:29:y:2021:i:1:p:45-65
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.2130
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    1. Nahid Sultana & Mohammad Mafizur Rahman & Rasheda Khanam, 2022. "Informal Sector Employment and Economic Growth: Evidence from Developing Countries in SDG Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Temitope Sade AKINTUNDE & Abiodun Samuel ISAYOMI, 2023. "The Effect Of Informal Economy On Human Capital Development," Business & Management Compass, University of Economics Varna, issue 3, pages 182-195.
    3. Pick-Soon Ling & Ming K. Lim & Ming-Lang Tseng, 2020. "Assessing Sustainable Foreign Direct Investment Performance in Malaysia: A Comparison on Policy Makers and Investor Perceptions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-38, October.
    4. Ceyhun Elgin & Colin C. Williams & Gamze Oz‐Yalaman & Abdullan Yalaman, 2022. "Fiscal stimulus packages to COVID‐19: The role of informality," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 861-879, May.
    5. Michael Silva-Peñaherrera & Paula Santiá & Fernando G. Benavides, 2022. "Informal Employment and Poor Mental Health in a Sample of 180,260 Workers from 13 Iberoamerican Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-12, June.
    6. Ceyhun Elgin & Adem Y. Elveren & Gökçer Özgür & Gül Dertli, 2022. "Military spending and sustainable development," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 1466-1490, August.

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