ICT and economic growth: Evidence from lower-middle income countries of South Asia

Abstract

The present study examines the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on the economic growth of the lower-middle income countries of South Asia. For empirical analysis, panel data approach comprising OLS, fixed effects, and random effects has been applied over the period 2000-2022. The results indicate that internet and mobile penetration induce economic growth in the lower-middle income countries of South Asia, while the estimated output elasticity for internet is highest amongst the three ICT indicators undertaken in the study. Thus, internet can be used as a growth propellant in the region to skip through the developmental stages.

Keywords

• ict
• economic growth
• south asia
• panel data analysis
• growth accounting