Spatial Dependence and Economic Growth: Evidence from a panel of Countries

The empirical literature about economic growth has usually ignored spatial interdependence among countries. This paper uses spatial econometrics to estimates a growth model that includes cross-country interdependence, in whitch a country's economic growth depends on the growth rate of its neighbords. Based on a sample of 98 countries over three decades (1965-75,1975-85, 1985-95) we find that espatial relationschip across countries are quite relevant. A country's economic growt is indeed affected by the perfomance of its neighbors and then influenced by its own geographical position. This results suggests that the spillover effects among countries are important for growth.Our results indicate that spatial interrelation can not be ignored in the analysis of economic growth. Ignoring such relationships can result in model misspecification.Spatial economterics, economic growth, interdependence.