The effects of colonial origin on economic growth

This paper analyzes the effects of colonial origins on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita throughout former colonies across the world. The study follows and expands on the model developed by Agbor, Fedderke, and Viegi (2010). The results, which used an Ordinary Least Square (OLS) semi-log model with the natural log of GDP per capita as the dependent variable, showed former French colonies have an expected lower GDP per capita compared to those of British origin from 1960 to 2011. The results also showed that Spanish colonies and colonies of ‘Other’ colonial origin have an expected higher GDP per capita compared to those of British origin. The duration of a colonial rule had a positive effect on GDP per capita. Also, investment and education were positively correlated with economic growth along with possessing an abundance of natural resources. The study expanded from the previous paper by expanding the dataset to former colonies around the world and the years in the study. The findings of this study showed that the differing instutions instilled by a colonizer affects GDP per capita and influence the overall economic conditions of a country