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Is Informality a Barrier to Financial Development?

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  • Ceyhun Elgin
  • Burak R. Uras

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between financial development and the size of the informal economy. We build a model in which an exogenous variation in the size of the informal sector creates two effects on financial development. Specifically, informal sector harms financial development through increasing financial repression due to tax evasion. However, on the other hand, increasing informal sector size facilitates financial development through easing the capacity constraint on the financial sector. Using a cross-country panel data set of 152 countries over the period 1999–2007 we also provide empirical support for the mechanism of our theory. Copyright The Author(s) 2013
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  • Ceyhun Elgin & Burak R. Uras, 2012. "Is Informality a Barrier to Financial Development?," Working Papers 2012/12, Bogazici University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bou:wpaper:2012/12
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    Cited by:

    1. Elgin, Ceyhun & Uras, Burak R., 2014. "Homeownership, informality and the transmission of monetary policy," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 160-168.
    2. Ceyhun Elgin & Ferda Erturk, 2016. "Is Informality a Barrier to Convergence?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(4), pages 2556-2568.
    3. Faryal, & Faisal, Faisal & Amin, Muhammad Yusuf & Haq, Zahoor Ul & Rahman, Sami Ur & Ali, Adnan, 2023. "Natural resources revenues, shadow economy and financial institutions depth: The way forward," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    4. Salvatore Capasso & Franziska Ohnsorge & Shu Yu, 2022. "Informality and financial development: A literature review," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 90(5), pages 587-608, September.
    5. Ceyhun Elgin & Ferda Erturk, 2019. "Informal economies around the world: measures, determinants and consequences," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(2), pages 221-237, June.
    6. Berdiev, Aziz N. & Saunoris, James W., 2016. "Financial development and the shadow economy: A panel VAR analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 197-207.
    7. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "The Least Developed Countries' Services Waiver and the Stability of Least Developed Countries' Services Exports," EconStor Preprints 260587, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    8. Ohnsorge, Franziska & Capasso, Salvatore & Yu, Shu, 2022. "From Financial Development to Informality: A Causal Link," CEPR Discussion Papers 17565, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Elgin, Ceyhun & Uras, Burak R., 2013. "Public debt, sovereign default risk and shadow economy," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 628-640.
    10. Ofori, Isaac K. & Quaidoo, Christopher & Ofori, Pamela E., 2021. "What Drives Financial Sector Development in Africa? Insights from Machine Learning," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue forthcomi.
    11. Can Sever & Emekcan Yucel, 2021. "Does Informality Hinder Financial Development Convergence? Abstract:," Working Papers 2021/02, Bogazici University, Department of Economics.
    12. Khalil Mhadhbi & Chokri Terzi, 2022. "Shadow economy threshold effect in the relationship finance–growth in Tunisia: A nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag approach," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 636-651, April.
    13. Stephen Dobson & Carlyn Ramlogan-Dobson & Eric Strobl, 2020. "Savings and the informal sector," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(2), pages 217-234, March.
    14. Imamoglu, Hatice, 2021. "The role of financial development on the underground economy in regards to Europe’s 2020 strategy," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(2).

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    JEL classification:

    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H59 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Other

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