Working Paper No. 03-20

The Export Skill Content, Learning By Exporting and Economic Growth
Galina An and Murat F. Iyigun
November 2003

ABSTRACT

We empirically investigate whether countries' export mix influences their economic growth. Using panel data from 86 countries covering the period between 1970 and 1990, we identify a statistically significant positive relationship between export skill content and economic growth. The evidence supports the idea that, after controlling for the levels of GDP per capita, education, openness to foreign trade, and political and macroeconomic stability, a higher export content of skill-intensive goods generates higher per-capita GDP growth rates.

JEL classification: I20, J24, O11, O31, O40
Keywords: learning-by-doing, human capital, trade

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