IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/ectrin/v34y2026i3p605-631.html

Brain Drain and Productivity Growth: Evidence From South Africa, 1947–2019

Author

Listed:
  • Johannes Fedderke
  • Xiaodi Dong

Abstract

This paper provides empirical evidence of how high‐level human capital outflow could affect TFP‐based economic development and vice versa. The concern of potential endogeneity between brain drain and economic development is addressed directly. First, structural break tests are employed to identify co‐breaks between brain drain and growth. Results confirm that the association is plausibly bidirectional. Accordingly, a multiequation estimation methodology is employed to parameterize the association. Results suggest a negative impact of brain drain on productivity growth and that productivity growth lowers brain drain in South Africa. A set of robustness tests supports using a simultaneous equation estimation methodology for the emigration‐productivity growth association.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Fedderke & Xiaodi Dong, 2026. "Brain Drain and Productivity Growth: Evidence From South Africa, 1947–2019," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(3), pages 605-631, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:ectrin:v:34:y:2026:i:3:p:605-631
    DOI: 10.1111/ecot.70031
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecot.70031
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ecot.70031?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:ectrin:v:34:y:2026:i:3:p:605-631. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)2577-6983 .

    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.