FDI and Growth: A Re-look at Evidence on Developing Economies

Abstract

Using cross-country data, this article investigates the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on growth in developing economies during globalisation. The study adopts an approach different from existing studies by categorising countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean based on FDI growth and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth relationship in the two phases: 1991–2004 and 2005–2019. In a sample of 29 countries, the least-squares dummy variable (LSDV) estimation shows a significant negative relationship between FDI and per capita GDP controlling for both country-specific and time-specific effects and various other factors including gross domestic capital formation, inflation, physical infrastructure, human capital, trade openness, financial development and governance. This study confirms the positive impact of FDI in the earlier phase, while a significant negative impact in the later phase. The observed negative relationship holds for sub-sets of the sample countries for the entire period. These results are despite the importance of human capital, infrastructure, financial development, trade openness and governance along with FDI. These developing countries thus need to formulate complementary domestic economic policies, including institutional changes, which complement foreign direct investment in promoting per capita growth. JEL: F21, F43, O11, C23