Gender, education levels and economic growth in the Middle East

• Main Authors: Bawazir, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Aslam, Mohamed, Osman, Ahmad Farid
• Format: Article
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: HA Statistics; HC Economic History and Conditions
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/36169/; https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85123262536&partnerID=40&md5=a7f2e1505881b99197640d5a228253ae
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

This study primarily aims to examine the effect of three education levels namely primary, secondary and tertiary on economic growth in the Middle East countries. Furthermore, the education levels disaggregate by gender to examine their influences on the countries’ economic growth. Accordingly, the study employs the static panel data models namely pooled ordinary least squares model, random effects model, and fixed effects model on ten Middle East countries, for the years 1996 to 2018. Based on the findings, secondary and tertiary education both have significant and positive influence on the economic growth. Analysis by gender reveals that the female education levels are highly positively related to the economic growth compared to the male education levels. The result is in tandem with the policies by the governments towards the enhancement of the involvement of women in the economy by the intensification of the participation of females in the labor force. These findings confirm that governments need to encourage education enrollment rates for both males and females to achieve economic growth. Briefly, the most important policy recommendation to the government is to position human capital development at the center of its development strategy. © 2021, Statistical Economic and Social Research and. All rights reserved.