Spillover Impacts of Financial Development on Regional Economic Growth: A Spatial Econometric Approach

Abstract

Objective: One of the important topics in regional economic literature is inter-regional communication and the influence of one region from other regions. In this way, economic growth in one region can lead to growth and development in neighboring regions. Accordingly, if one of the factors affecting economic growth, such as financial development, causes economic growth in a region, the existence of spillover effects will also affect the economic growth of neighboring regions. According to this theory, it can be said that financial development in an area (if it has an intra-regional impact) can also have spatial effects (spillovers and between-regional). The objectives of this study are: 1- investigating the effect of direct effect of financial development on the growth of Iranian provinces 2- spillover effects of financial development on the growth of Iranian provinces 3- Effect of auxiliary variables such as foreign direct investment, transaction value of Stock market, bank lending facilities, human capital and per capita road on the growth of Iranian provinces. Method: To collect information related to the research, a documentary or library method was used in which the data of 30 provinces of the country in the period 2011-2015 were collected. Then the data is analyzed using the spatial panel econometric method. Results: Therefore, the results of model estimation show that financial development has had a positive and significant effect on economic growth of regions, but no spillover effects on the growth of neighboring regions and provinces. Also, foreign direct investment and road per capita have both a direct positive effect and a positive spillovers effect on the growth of regions. Human capital has also had a positive and significant direct effect on the economic growth of the regions. The effects of its spillovers have also been significant on the growth of regions.Conclusion: According to the results of the study, financial development has a positive and significant effect on the regional growth of Iran's provinces. One of the indicators of financial development is the facilities granted by banks to the public and private sectors, which has a positive and significant effect on economic growth. According to the results, if the granting of credits and banking facilities to the applicants of private sector projects is done and since it is one of the most important domestic sources for investment, by adopting the correct monetary policies and using appropriate monetary instruments, private sector savings can be efficiently equipped and directed to productive activities, so financial development through the optimal allocation of capital resources and the provision of better and more efficient services, the field of innovative activities. Improves and increases economic efficiency and ultimately leads to the growth of neighboring areas.

Keywords

• financial development
• regional growth
• spatial econometrics