Description

This paper evaluates the growth performance of the Chilean economy in comparison to a wide sample of countries. The paper uses a determinants of growth approach to compare the growth performance of Chile before and after 1975. The post 1975 period is associated with the implementation of economic reforms. The paper features a correct treatment of the individual effects and endogeneity problems associated with the estimation of cross-country growth regressions, and the decomposition of the determinants of growth between structural ones and those related to economic reform. The paper shows that although the Chilean economy has notably increased its growth rate during the last twenty years, this has only meant a reduction in the existing growth gap between Chile and East Asian economies. The paper also shows that the increase in the average growth rate after 1975 is well explained by the direct effect of economic reform, while the individual effect for Chile has changed very little.