Bank-based financial development and economic growth : A review of international literature

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to survey the existing literature on the causal relationship between bank-based financial development and economic growth, highlighting the theoretical and empirical evidence from recent work. Although some previous studies have attempted to conduct a survey of the existing research on the finance-growth nexus, the majority of these studies have failed to distinguish between bank-based and market-based financial developments. To our knowledge, this may be the first study of its kind to survey the existing research on the causal relationship between bank-based financial development and economic growth – in both developed and developing countries. Design/methodology/approach – Overall, our study shows that most of the literature reviewed in this paper either supports bidirectional causality between bank-based financial development and economic growth or reinforces the conventional supply-leading response phenomenon. Notwithstanding this outcome, the study also finds the literature in favour of a demand-following response to be increasing – in both number and substance – especially in recent years. Findings – The paper, therefore, concludes that the causal relationship between financial development and economic growth is not clear-cut and that the notion that financial development automatically leads to economic growth is merely based on prima facie or superficial evidence. Originality/value – Although some previous studies have attempted to conduct a survey of the existing research on the finance-growth nexus, the majority of these studies have failed to distinguish between bank-based and market-based financial developments. To our knowledge, this may be the first study of its kind to survey the existing research on the causal relationship between bank-based financial development and economic growth – in both developed and developing countries.