IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jecomi/v12y2024i9p234-d1468255.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

IMF Conditionality and Government Education Spending: The Case of 10 MENA Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Hassan Sherry

    (Department of Economics, Adnan Kassar School of Business (AKSOB), Lebanese American University, Beirut P.O. Box 13-5053, Lebanon)

  • Hussein Zeaiter

    (Department of Economics, Adnan Kassar School of Business (AKSOB), Lebanese American University, Beirut P.O. Box 13-5053, Lebanon)

Abstract

This study explores the impact of International Monetary Fund (IMF)-linked conditionality on government education expenditures in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Understanding the impact of conditional lending by international financial institutions on education spending is important due to the pivotal role education plays in fostering social and economic development. We use country-level panel data encompassing a representative set of 10 MENA countries from 1990 to 2020 and employ a cross-national fixed effects regression model. Our findings suggest that IMF conditionality demonstrates a positive relationship with government education expenditures in the MENA region. The proposed explanation is that the application of IMF policy advice can have a catalytic effect on donor financing, including for education. This indicates that the Fund’s financing arrangements in the region can free up fiscal space for social spending, which, in turn, signals a sort of departure of the IMF from the reputation that typically precedes it—its traditional bias for macroeconomic stability irrespective of social costs. We argue that our findings are instructive for policy, especially if one shares the idea that education is a necessary prerequisite for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: guaranteeing inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting enduring learning opportunities for all.

Suggested Citation

  • Hassan Sherry & Hussein Zeaiter, 2024. "IMF Conditionality and Government Education Spending: The Case of 10 MENA Countries," Economies, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-23, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jecomi:v:12:y:2024:i:9:p:234-:d:1468255
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/12/9/234/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/12/9/234/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher P. P. Shafuda & Utpal Kumar De, 2020. "Government expenditure on human capital and growth in Namibia: a time series analysis," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Mahmoud Arayssi & Ali Fakih, 2015. "Institutions and development in MENA region: evidence from the manufacturing sector," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 42(8), pages 717-732, August.
    3. Leslie E. Papke & Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2024. "A simple, robust test for choosing the level of fixed effects in linear panel data models," Advanced Studies in Theoretical and Applied Econometrics, in: Subal C. Kumbhakar & Robin C. Sickles & Hung-Jen Wang (ed.), Advances in Applied Econometrics, pages 219-237, Springer.
    4. Michael Jetter & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2013. "Does urbanization mean bigger governments?," Documentos de Trabajo de Valor Público 10730, Universidad EAFIT.
    5. Ghobarah, Hazem Adam & Huth, Paul & Russett, Bruce, 2003. "Civil Wars Kill and Maim People—Long After the Shooting Stops," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 97(2), pages 189-202, May.
    6. Mahmoud Arayssi & Ali Fakih, 2015. "Institutions and development in MENA region: evidence from the manufacturing sector," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 42(8), pages 717-732, August.
    7. Alexander E. Kentikelenis & Thomas H. Stubbs & Lawrence P. King, 2016. "IMF conditionality and development policy space, 1985–2014," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(4), pages 543-582, July.
    8. Bingqin Li, 2006. "Urbanization and social policy in China," Asia-Pacific Development Journal, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), vol. 13(1), pages 1-26, June.
    9. Kentikelenis, Alexander E. & Stubbs, Thomas H. & King, Lawrence P., 2015. "Structural adjustment and public spending on health: Evidence from IMF programs in low-income countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 169-176.
    10. Chakrabarti, Avik & Zeaiter, Hussein, 2014. "The determinants of sovereign default: A sensitivity analysis," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 300-318.
    11. Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2015. "Control Function Methods in Applied Econometrics," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(2), pages 420-445.
    12. Michael Jetter & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2018. "Does Urbanization Mean Bigger Governments?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 120(4), pages 1202-1228, October.
    13. Tarik M. Yousef, 2004. "Development, Growth and Policy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa since 1950," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(3), pages 91-115, Summer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Thomas Stubbs & Bernhard Reinsberg & Alexander Kentikelenis & Lawrence King, 2020. "How to evaluate the effects of IMF conditionality," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 29-73, January.
    2. Muhammad Zakaria & Wen Jun & Arooj Khan, 2023. "Effects Of Capital Inflows On Fiscal Balance In An Emerging Economy: Evidence From Pakistan," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 68(05), pages 1585-1598, September.
    3. Lin Li & Kaixu Zhao & Xinyu Wang & Sidong Zhao & Xingguang Liu & Weiwei Li, 2022. "Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Driving Mechanism of Urbanization in Small Cities: Case Study from Guangxi," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-34, March.
    4. Bomprezzi, Pietro & Marchesi, Silvia, 2023. "A firm level approach on the effects of IMF programs," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    5. Al-Fayoumi, Nedal & Bouri, Elie & Abuzayed, Bana, 2023. "Decomposed oil price shocks and GCC stock market sector returns and volatility," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    6. Stubbs, Thomas & Kentikelenis, Alexander & Stuckler, David & McKee, Martin & King, Lawrence, 2017. "The impact of IMF conditionality on government health expenditure: A cross-national analysis of 16 West African nations," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 220-227.
    7. Stephanie J. Rickard & Teri L. Caraway, 2019. "International demands for austerity: Examining the impact of the IMF on the public sector," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 35-57, March.
    8. Abel François & Nicolas Lagios & Pierre-Guillaume Méon, 2025. "Jurisdiction size and perceived corruption," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 202(1), pages 251-275, January.
    9. Michael Jetter & Saskia Mösle & David Stadelmann, 2017. "Landlockedness and Economic Development: Analyzing Subnational Panel Data and Exploring Mechanisms," CESifo Working Paper Series 6733, CESifo.
    10. Gasmi,Farid & Kouakou,Dorgyles Christ Maurel & Noumba Um,Paul & Milla,Pedro Rojas, 2023. "An Empirical Analysis of the Social Contract in the Middle East and North Africa : Regionand the Role of Digitalization in Its Transformation," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10455, The World Bank.
    11. Valentin Lang, 2021. "The economics of the democratic deficit: The effect of IMF programs on inequality," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 599-623, July.
    12. Fiorini, Luciana C. & Jetter, Michael & Parmeter, Christopher F. & Parsons, Christopher, 2020. "The Effect of Community Size on Electoral Preferences: Evidence From Post-WWII Southern Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 13724, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Jetter, Michael & Mösle, Saskia & Stadelmann, David, 2019. "Cursed by no coast: How regional landlockedness affects income within countries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 70-73.
    14. Gasmi, Farid & Kouakou, Dorgyles & Noumba Um, Paul & Rojas Milla, Pedro, 2023. "An empirical analysis of the social contract in the MENA region and the role of digitalization in its transformation," TSE Working Papers 23-1423, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    15. Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Azam, Muhammad & Bruna, Maria Giuseppina & Bouri, Elie, 2023. "A cross-regional investigation of institutional quality and sustainable development," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    16. Chletsos, Michael & Sintos, Andreas, 2023. "The effects of IMF conditional programs on the unemployment rate," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    17. Daoud, Adel & Herlitz, Anders & Subramanian, S.V., 2022. "IMF fairness: Calibrating the policies of the International Monetary Fund based on distributive justice," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    18. Mr. Sanjeev Gupta & Michela Schena & Mr. Seyed Reza Yousefi, 2018. "Expenditure Conditionality in IMF-supported Programs," IMF Working Papers 2018/255, International Monetary Fund.
    19. Forster, Timon & Kentikelenis, Alexander E. & Stubbs, Thomas H. & King, Lawrence P., 2020. "Globalization and health equity: The impact of structural adjustment programs on developing countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    20. S. Arunachalam & Sridhar N. Ramaswami & Pol Herrmann & Doug Walker, 2018. "Innovation pathway to profitability: the role of entrepreneurial orientation and marketing capabilities," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 744-766, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jecomi:v:12:y:2024:i:9:p:234-:d:1468255. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.