Can we drive development at scale? An interim update on economic growth work

Abstract

The authors investigate the cost-effectiveness of promoting economic growth as a means of improving well-being in developing countries. They consider several arguments against focusing on economic growth, such as that it is not neglected, it does not increase happiness, it does not benefit the poorest of the poor, the causes of growth are unknown, and it is impossible to implement growth-promoting policies. The authors find that while there is evidence that economic growth is beneficial in the long run, there is little consensus about what specific interventions would be most effective. They conclude that further research is needed to identify cost-effective funding opportunities for economic growth, but that this research is likely to be costly and time-consuming. – AI-generated abstract