International Evidenceon Fiscal Solvency: Is Fiscal Policy "Responsible"?
Summary:
This paper looks at fiscal solvency and public debt sustainability in both emerging market and advanced countries. Evidence of fiscal solvency, in the form of a robust positive conditional relationship between public debt and the primary fiscal balance, is established in both groups of countries. Evidence of fiscal solvency is much weaker, however, at high debt levels. These findings suggest that many industrial and emerging market economies, including several where fiscal solvency has been the subject of recent debates, appear to conduct fiscal policy responsibly. Yet our results cannot reject the hypothesis of fiscal insolvency in groups of countries with high debt ratios.
Series:
Working Paper No. 2007/056
Subject:
Expenditure Financial sector policy and analysis Fiscal policy Fiscal stance Public debt Solvency
English
Publication Date:
March 1, 2007
ISBN/ISSN:
9781451866209/1018-5941
Stock No:
WPIEA2007056
Pages:
30
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