Eurosclerosis or Financial Collapse: Why Did Swedish Incomes Fall Behind?

Valerie Cerra and Sweta C. Saxena

No 05/29, IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: Sweden represents an archetypal welfare state economy, with extensive government safety nets. Some scholars have attributed a decline in its per capita income ranking since 1970 to "eurosclerosis" or sluggish growth caused by distortionary policies. This paper argues rather, that the permanent loss in output following Sweden's banking crisis in the early 1990s explains the decline in its per capita GDP ratings. The paper finds no macroeconomic evidence that welfare state policies have deterred growth. The results warn that empirical growth analyses should distinguish between trend output growth and permanent output loss associated, for example, with financial crises.

Keywords: Production; Sweden; Financial crisis; Social policy; Income (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-fmk and nep-mac
Date: 2005-02-25
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Working Paper: Eurosclerosis or Financial Collapse: Why Did Swedish Incomes Fall Behind? (2005)
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