External Debt, Public Investment, and Growth in Low-Income Countries

25 Pages Posted: 15 Feb 2006

See all articles by Benedict Clements

Benedict Clements

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - African Department

Rina Bhattacharya

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Toan Quoc Nguyen

New York University (NYU)

Date Written: December 2003

Abstract

This paper examines the channels through which external debt affects growth in low-income countries. Our results suggest that the substantial reduction in the stock of external debt projected for highly indebted poor countries (HIPCs) would directly increase per capita income growth by about 1 percentage point per annum. Reductions in external debt service could also provide an indirect boost to growth through their effects on public investment. If half of all debt-service relief were channeled for such purposes without increasing the budget deficit, then growth could accelerate in some HIPCs by an additional 0.5 percentage point per annum.

Keywords: External Debt Debt Service Growth Public Investment

JEL Classification: F34 O40

Suggested Citation

Clements, Benedict and Bhattacharya, Rina and Nguyen, Toan Quoc, External Debt, Public Investment, and Growth in Low-Income Countries (December 2003). IMF Working Paper No. 03/249, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=880959

Benedict Clements (Contact Author)

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - African Department ( email )

1700 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20431
United States

Rina Bhattacharya

International Monetary Fund (IMF) ( email )

700 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20431
United States

Toan Quoc Nguyen

New York University (NYU) ( email )

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