What Drives Private Saving Across the World?

Abstract

Saving rates display considerable variation across countries and over time. This paper investigates empirically the policy and non-policy factors behind these saving disparities using a large, cross-country, time-series data set and following an encompassing approach including a number of relevant private saving determinants. The paper extends the literature in several dimensions. It uses the largest data set on aggregate saving assembled to date and explores both national and private saving determinants. It uses panel instrumental-variable techniques to correct for endogeneity and heterogeneity. Finally, it performs a variety of robustness checks to changes in estimation procedures, data samples, and model specification.

Keywords: Private savings, Estimators, Inflation rates, Savings rates, National savings, Statistical estimation, P values, Instrumental variables estimation, Ratios, Terms of trade