The impact of Ease of Doing Business on economic growth: a dynamic panel analysis for African countries

The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of Ease of Doing Business on economic growth. In this perspective, the study covered a sample of 44 African countries over the period 2010–2018. A World Bank aggregate Ease of Doing Business index is used, and economic growth is measured by the real annual GDP growth rate. In addition, the impact of Ease of Doing Business on economic growth is examined in a dynamic framework using the System Generalized Method of Moments (System-GMM) estimation. The results show a positive and significant effect of Ease of Doing Business on economic growth, suggesting that business regulatory reforms are a means for African countries to achieve and sustain economic growth.