Per capita

Macroeconomics

Demography

Developing country

Panel data

Literature

Damages

Economics

Market economy

Development economics

Language change

Emerging markets

Political science

Econometrics

Population

Sociology

Latin Americans

International economics

Economic growth

Index of Economic Freedom

Economic freedom

Economic expansion

International Economics

This study analyzes the effects of corruption on economic growth for different levels of economic freedom. The effects of corruption on the economy, which can increase or decrease growth, were tested in emerging countries in Latin America and Pacific Asia, between 2000 and 2017, through one-step System-GMM estimation panel data regressions. The results showed that economic freedom works as a moderator in the relationship between corruption and economic growth. On both continents, greater economic freedom, on average, supports the growth of GDP per capita. In Latin America, it was possible to corroborate the hypothesis that corruption damages countries with greater economic freedom but favors economic growth in countries with lower economic freedom levels. Regarding the Asian countries studied, there was only a negative effect of corruption on economic growth in countries with less economic freedom. When comparing this reality with the one in Latin America, it was observed that in terms of development, the countries in this continent are in earlier stages compared to the Asian countries, even though both country groups are called "emerging."

Economic growth and corruption in emerging markets: Does economic freedom matter?