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Significant Drivers of Growth in Africa

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  • Oleg Badunenko

    (University of Cologne)

  • Daniel J. Henderson

    (University of Alabama)

  • Romain Houssa

    (University of Namur)

Abstract

We employ bootstrap techniques in a production frontier framework to provide statistical inference for each component in the decomposition of labor productivity growth, which has essentially been ignored in this literature. We show that only two of the four components have significantly contributed to growth in Africa. Although physical capital accumulation is the largest force, it is not statistically significant. Thus, ignoring statistical inference would falsely identify physical capital accumulation as a major driver of growth in Africa when it is not.

Suggested Citation

  • Oleg Badunenko & Daniel J. Henderson & Romain Houssa, 2012. "Significant Drivers of Growth in Africa," Working Papers 1208, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:nam:wpaper:1208
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    Cited by:

    1. Jens J. Krüger, 2020. "Long‐run productivity trends: A global update with a global index," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 1393-1412, November.
    2. Nickolaos G. Tzeremes, 2019. "Technological change, technological catch-up and export orientation: evidence from Latin American Countries," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 85-100, December.
    3. Glass, Anthony J. & Kenjegalieva, Karligash & Ajayi, Victor & Adetutu, Morakinyo & Sickles, Robin C., 2016. "Relative Winners and Losers from Efficiency Spillovers in Africa with Policy Implications for Regional Integration," Working Papers 16-003, Rice University, Department of Economics.
    4. Oleg Badunenko & Daniel J. Henderson & Valentin Zelenyuk, 2017. "The Productivity of Nations," CEPA Working Papers Series WP022017, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    5. Léopold Simar & Paul W. Wilson, 2023. "Another look at productivity growth in industrialized countries," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 257-272, December.
    6. Amini, Shahram & Battisti, Michele & Parmeter, Christopher F., 2017. "Decomposing changes in the conditional variance of GDP over time," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 376-387.
    7. EZZAHIDI, Elhadj & El Alaoui, Aicha, 2015. "Determinants of the recent growth surge in Africa: what changed since mid-1990s?," MPRA Paper 67792, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Africa; bootstrap; growth; production frontier;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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