## Social Sector Spending in a Panel of Countries

_IMF Working Papers, February 1, 2002_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Social Sector Spending in a Panel of Countries](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/30/social-sector-spending-in-a-panel-of-countries-15564)

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Reza Baqir
- Published: February 1, 2002
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451845365.001

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### Principal findings
- Democratization, measured by within-country variation in subjective indices of democracy, is a significant predictor of government spending on education and health.
- The relationship is robust to controlling for a variety of factors.
- Estimated magnitudes:
  - An increase from the lowest to the highest rating for democracy for a country is associated with approximately 1 percent more central government spending in social sectors, as a percent of GDP.
  - An increase from the lowest to the highest rating for democracy for a country is associated with approximately 3 percent more general government spending in social sectors, as a percent of GDP.

### Data and scope
- Empirical approach: analysis of a panel dataset (time series cross-section).
- Social sectors analyzed: education and health.
- Key variables referenced: subjective indices of democracy, central government spending, general government spending, percent of GDP measures.

### Robustness and controls
- Reported relationship between democracy and social sector spending remains significant after controlling for a variety of factors (unspecified in this overview but noted as included in the analysis).

### Publication and metadata
- Author: Reza Baqir
- Publication date: February 1, 2002
- Series: IMF Working Paper No. 2002/035
- Pages: 53
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451845365.001
- ISBN: 9781451845365
- ISSN: 1018-5941

*Source: "Social Sector Spending in a Panel of Countries" by Reza Baqir, IMF Working Papers 2002, 035 (2002).*

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## Content in this bundle

- **Social Sector Spending in a Panel of Countries - WP/02/35**
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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/30/social-sector-spending-in-a-panel-of-countries-15564_