Regional Integration and Economic Growth in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Southeast Asia has experienced an economic growth since the 1980s. This growth triggered by reforms to increasing global and regional integration has been remarkable. This article aims to examine whether regional integration promotes economic growth in Southeast Asia. It further investigates whether the economic and social factors affect economic growth. The panel data were collected over 43 years (1970–2013) in Southeast Asia. We employ a cross-country growth model using a generalized method of moments in the dynamic panel framework to empirically examine the impact of regional integration on economic growth. Our results found that regional integration had a significant effect on economic growth. More specifically, our empirical results suggest that, in order to enhance regional integration and economic growth in the region, public institutions should work towards eliminating corruption and stabilizing macroeconomics and political stability while promoting international trade among member countries. This article sheds light on the key determinants of economic growth and policy formulations to achieve higher economic growth in Southeast Asia.