Examining the Relationship Between Growth, Urbanization and Physical Capital with the Boostrap Causality Test: The Example of E-7 Countries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37241/jatss.2025.137Keywords:
economic growth, physical capital, urbanization, causality analysisAbstract
Introduction: The study investigated the causal relationship between economic growth, physical capital, and urbanization variables in E-7 countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and Türkiye). The purpose of this study is to contribute to the more effective design of economic growth strategies and development policies by revealing the structural characteristics of the relationships between the variables in question in E-7 countries. The limited number of comprehensive empirical analyses in the literature, which address the simultaneous effects of physical capital and urbanization on economic growth in these countries, highlights the originality and importance of the study.
Method: The analysis was carried out with annual data from 1990 to 2022. Boostrap Causality (2006) analysis was used.
Results or Findings: According to the findings obtained from the analysis, the panel results are as follows: bidirectional causality was determined between growth and urbanization, unidirectional causality was observed from growth to physical capital. Similarly, unidirectional causality was found from urbanization to physical capital. It was observed that the results differed at the cross-section level.
Discussion or Conclusion: The results emphasize that the effects of urbanization and physical capital on economic growth vary depending on country characteristics and policy preferences. In addition, policy inferences were made on both panel and country basis.
Downloads
References
Breusch, T. S. & Pagan, A. R. (1980). The lagrange multiplier test and ıts applications to model specification tests in econometrics. Review of Economic Studies, 47, 239-253. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2297111
Casi, L. & Resmini, L. (2017). Foreign direct investment and growth: Can different regional identities shape the returns to foreign capital investments?. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 35(8), 1483-1508.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2399654417690906 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2399654417690906
Du, D. (2017). The causal relationship between land urbanization quality and economic growth: Evidence from capital cities in China. Quality & Quantity, 51, 2707-2723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-016-0417-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-016-0417-z
Duran, M. S., Bozkaya, S. & Bekun, F. V. (2023). Empirical analysis into the nexus between energy consumption, economic growth, and natural resources in D-8 bloc: Evidence from panel causality analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(12), 34720-34727. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24674-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24674-2
Hacıimamoğlu, T. & Sungur, O. (2024). Human capital, physical capital, economic complexity, and economic growth nexus in Türkiye: New evidence from bootstrap fourier granger causality in quantiles approach. İnsan ve İnsan, 11(37), 11-26. https://doi.org/10.29224/insanveinsan.1369367 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29224/insanveinsan.1369367
Haryanto, T., Erlando, A. & Utomo, Y. (2021). The relationship between urbanization, education, and GDP per capita in Indonesia. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(5), 561-572. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2021.vol8.no5.0561
Jacobs, S., David, O. O. & Stiglingh-Van Wyk, A. (2023). The impact of urbanization on economic growth in Gauteng Province, South Africa. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 13(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.13899 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.13899
Jemiluyi, O. O. & Jeke, L. (2024). The role of human capital development in urbanization-economic growth nexus: A new insight on Nigeria. Sustainable Futures, 8, Article 100266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2024.100266 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2024.100266
Konya, L. (2006). Exports and growth: granger causality analysis on OECD countries with a panel data approach. Economic Modelling, 23(6), 978-992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2006.04.008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2006.04.008
Li, Y., Wang, X., Westlund, H. & Liu, Y. (2015). Physical capital, human capital, and social capital: The changing roles in China's economic growth. Growth and Change, 46(1), 133-149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12084
Liddle, B. & Messinis, G. (2015). Which comes first–urbanization or economic growth? Evidence from heterogeneous panel causality tests. Applied Economics Letters, 22(5), 349-355. https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12084 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2014.943877
Liddle, B. (2013). The energy, economic growth, urbanization nexus across development: Evidence from heterogeneous panel estimates robust to cross-sectional dependence. The Energy Journal, 34(2), 223-244. https://doi.org/10.5547/01956574.34.2.8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5547/01956574.34.2.8
Long, N. T. (2020). Do foreign direct investment, energy consumption and urbanization enhance economic growth in six ASEAN countries?. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(12), 33-42. https://doi.org/ 10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no12.033 DOI: https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no12.033
Malumfash, A. H. & Gambo, S. L. (2018). Urbanization and economic growth in Nigeria: An application of ARDL bounds testing approach. UMYUK Journal of Economics and Development, 1(1), 37-46.
Mehmood, R. & Lal, I. (2021). Human capital, urbanization and dynamics of economic growth and development. Journal of Human, Earth, and Future, 2(4), 382–394. http://doi.org/10. 28991/HEF-2021-02-04-06 DOI: https://doi.org/10.28991/HEF-2021-02-04-06
Nguyen, H. M. & Nguyen, L. D. (2018). The relationship between urbanization and economic growth: An empirical study on ASEAN countries. International Journal of Social Economics, 45(2), 316-339. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-12-2016-0358 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-12-2016-0358
Odugbesan, J. A. & Rjoub, H. (2020). Relationship among economic growth, energy consumption, CO2 emission, and urbanization: Evidence from MINT countries. Sage Open, 10(2), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/215824402091464 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020914648
Osiobe, E. U. (2020). Human capital, capital stock formation, and economic growth: A panel granger causality analysis. Journal of Economics and Business, 3(2), 569-582. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1992.03.02.221
Pablo-Romero, M. D. P. & Sánchez-Braza, A. (2015). Productive energy use and economic growth: Energy, physical and human capital relationships. Energy Economics, 49, 420-429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.03.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.03.010
Pesaran, H. (2006, February 22). A simple panel unit root test in the presence of cross section dependence. Cambridge University, Working Paper, No. 0346, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://files.econ.cam.ac.uk/people-files/mhp1/CADF(V2)22Feb06.pdf
Pesaran, M. H. & Yamagata, T. (2008). Testing slope homogeneity in large panels. Journal of Econometrics, 142(1), 50-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconom.2007.05.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconom.2007.05.010
Pomi, S. S., Sarkar, S. M. & Dhar, B. K. (2021). Human or physical capital, which influences sustainable economic growth most? A study on Bangladesh. Canadian Journal of Business and Information Studies, 3(5), 101-108. https://doi.org/10.34104/cjbis.021.01010108 DOI: https://doi.org/10.34104/cjbis.021.01010108
Potts, D. (2012). Challenging the myths of urban dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa: The evidence from Nigeria. World Development, 40(7), 1382-1393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2011.12.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2011.12.004
Sen, K. (2013). The political dynamics of economic growth. World Development, 47, 71-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.02.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.02.015
Shaban, A., Kourtit, K. & Nijkamp, P. (2024). Reverse causality between urbanization and economic growth: a global test on the validity of urbanization-led economic growth. The Annals of Regional Science, 73(4), 1469-1496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-024-01315-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-024-01315-9
Uddin, M. R., Sadik, N. & Rahman, M. M. (2025). Globalization, physical capital, and human capital nexus with economic growth: Evidence from BIMSTEC. Research in Globalization, Article 100284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2025.100284 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2025.100284
Ülger, M., Uçar, M., Atamer, M. A. & Apaydın, Ş. (2024). Kentleşme, yenilenebilir enerji ve inovasyon ile ekonomik büyüme ve ekolojik ayak izi arasındaki nedensellik ilişkileri: Çok yüksek insani gelişme düzeyindeki ülkeler örneği. Politik Ekonomik Kuram, 8(2), 449-462. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1485357 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1485357
Widarni, E. L. & Bawono, S. (2021). Human capital, technology, and economic growth: A case study of Indonesia. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(5), 29-35.









