Ethiopia’s Growth Acceleration and How to Sustain It
Ethiopia has experienced a growth acceleration over the past decade on the back of an economic strategy emphasizing public infrastructure investment and supported by heterodox macro-financial policies. To analyze the country’s growth performance during 2000–13, the paper employs a neoclassical cross-country System Generalized Method of Moments regression model. The analysis finds that accelerated growth was driven by public infrastructure investment and restrained government consumption, and supported by a conducive external environment. Macroeconomic challenges arising from declining private credit, real currency overvaluation, and relatively high inflation held back some growth. The model accurately predicts Ethiopia’s growth over the period of analysis and is robust to country-specific parameter heterogeneity and alternative infrastructure variables. Looking ahead, model simulations under alternative policy scenarios are indicative that growth may decelerate in the coming decade, making it challenging for Ethiopia to attain its middle-income country target by 2025. Although simulated growth rates do not vary much by policy scenario, the paper discusses some of the emerging risks associated with a continued reliance on the current infrastructure financing model and potential future adjustments.
Summary: | Ethiopia has experienced a growth
acceleration over the past decade on the back of an economic
strategy emphasizing public infrastructure investment and
supported by heterodox macro-financial policies. To analyze
the country’s growth performance during 2000–13, the paper
employs a neoclassical cross-country System Generalized
Method of Moments regression model. The analysis finds that
accelerated growth was driven by public infrastructure
investment and restrained government consumption, and
supported by a conducive external environment. Macroeconomic
challenges arising from declining private credit, real
currency overvaluation, and relatively high inflation held
back some growth. The model accurately predicts Ethiopia’s
growth over the period of analysis and is robust to
country-specific parameter heterogeneity and alternative
infrastructure variables. Looking ahead, model simulations
under alternative policy scenarios are indicative that
growth may decelerate in the coming decade, making it
challenging for Ethiopia to attain its middle-income country
target by 2025. Although simulated growth rates do not vary
much by policy scenario, the paper discusses some of the
emerging risks associated with a continued reliance on the
current infrastructure financing model and potential future adjustments. |
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