The impact of infrastructure on development outcomes: a meta-analysis
File(s)
Published online version
Author(s)
Foster, Vivien
Gorgulu, Nisan
Jain, Dhruv
Straub, Stephane
Vagliasindi, Maria
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We perform a meta-analysis of the infrastructure research done over several decades, using over a thousand estimates from 221 papers reporting outcome elasticities. We include the transport, energy, and digital or information and communication technology (ICT) sectors, and the whole set of outcomes covered in the literature, including output, employment and wages, inequality and poverty, trade, education and health, population, and environmental aspects. Our results update the underlying parameters of interest, the “true” underlying infrastructure elasticities, accounting for publication bias, as well as for heterogeneity stemming from study design and context, with a particular focus on developing countries. Our results support a positive and significant impact of infrastructure on development outcomes, but also important heterogeneity across sectors and countries. While effects appear larger in developed countries for digital and energy studies, cross-sectoral and transport studies based on developing countries produce larger elasticities.
Date Issued
2025-10-07
Date Acceptance
2025-10-01
Citation
World Bank Research Observer, 2025
ISSN
0257-3032
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Journal / Book Title
World Bank Research Observer
Copyright Statement
© The World Bank 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / THE WORLD BANK. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/) which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Subjects
Business & Economics
Development Studies
Economics
ECONOMICS
energy
ICT
infrastructure
INTERNET
meta-analysis
Social Sciences
transport
Publication Status
Published online
Article Number
lkaf003
Date Publish Online
2025-10-07