Replication Data for "Ties That Bind: Tied Aid and Economic Growth"

Donors tie large amounts of foreign aid, forcing recipients to buy from donor countries. Scholars and the OECD have long argued that, by not permitting recipients to procure locally or to participate in internationally competitive bidding practices, tied aid creates inefficiencies that undermine economic growth. Further, tied aid may be less effective than untied aid because it serves donor companies more than it targets recipient needs. Despite the academic, policy, and media attention on tied aid, there is little empirical study of whether it is worse for growth than untied aid. Using the latest econometric techniques to account for potential endogeneity, we present and analyze new data on tied aid covering 157 countries across the Global South (1990-2018). We find that tied aid is, indeed, associated with less growth than untied aid and suggest that donors interested in development should not tie aid. We conclude with directions for future research.

援助方常将大额对外援助与采购绑定，强制受援方仅能从援助国采购商品与服务。长期以来，学者与经济合作与发展组织（OECD）均指出，捆绑式援助（tied aid）不允许受援方开展本地采购或参与国际竞争性招标流程，由此产生的效率损耗会损害经济增长。此外，捆绑式援助的实施效果或逊于无捆绑式援助（untied aid），因其更侧重于服务援助国企业，而非贴合受援方的实际发展需求。尽管学界、政策制定界与媒体对捆绑式援助多有关注，但针对其对经济增长的负面影响是否甚于无捆绑式援助的实证研究仍较为稀缺。本研究采用最新计量经济学方法以控制潜在内生性（endogeneity）问题，对1990年至2018年间覆盖全球南方（Global South）157个国家的捆绑式援助新数据进行了系统呈现与分析。研究结果显示，捆绑式援助确实与更低的经济增速显著相关，因此有意推动受援方发展的援助方不应将援助与采购绑定。最后，本研究提出了未来相关研究的可行方向。