FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: SOME EVIDENCE FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

This study is concerned about foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth across the world for the period of 1991-2001. This article produces fresh empirical evidence on the relation between FDI and economic growth obtained from single-equation and simultaneous equation estimates for 140 countries using macro economic variables. The results indicate that a positive and statistically significant estimate of coefficient of FDI is obtained from single equation ordinary least squares method for real per-capita GDP regressions in all but one case. There exists a positive and statistically significant relation between the real per-capita GDP and FDI in the case of many countries but correlation coefficient between exports-GDP ratio and percentage FDI is found to be insignificant. Country risk rating and the telecommunications variables are significant in all the relevant regressions and correlation estimates.