Capital mobility, balance of payments constraints, and economic growth: an empirical dynamic analysis.

This paper analyses empirically the relationship between economic growth and the openness of the financial account of the balance of payments. It takes into consideration the balance of payments’ constrained growth, as well as the difficulties in the empirical literature in measuring capital mobility. Starting from traditional capital mobility indexes we estimate a panel across 80 countries, both developed and developing between 1979-2003. Results suggest that more capital mobility in developing countries affects growth negatively, whereas it possibly stimulates growth in developed countries.