The Influence of Macroeconomics on GDP Growth

Authors

  • Gerald Nikki Tiendy Universitas Pelita Harapan
  • Valentino Budhidharma Universitas Pelita Harapan

Keywords:

Macroeconomics, GDP Growth, Random Forest

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between macroeconomic factors and GDP Growth, with a focus on their collective impact on GDP growth across 185 countries from 2001 to 2022. Utilizing a panel data approach, this research explores how variables such as Aggregate Effective Tax Rate (AETR), Statutory Tax Rate (STR), Employment Growth (EG), Population (P), Control of Corruption (COC), and Tax Visit (TV) affect economic performance. The Fixed Effects Model is selected as the most appropriate estimation technique based on Chow and Hausman tests. The results reveal that AETR, EG, and P have significant positive effects on GDP growth, indicating that effective tax collection, labor expansion, and demographic growth are key drivers of macroeconomic performance. In contrast, STR, COC, and TV are found to have no statistically significant influence. Furthermore, Random Forest analysis identifies Population, Employment Growth, and Control of Corruption as the most important predictors, while model refinement shows that excluding the TV variable improves explanatory power. These findings suggest that tax policy effectiveness relies more on enforcement and demographic support than on nominal tax rates alone. The study offers insights for policymakers to design tax systems that align with broader economic goals and institutional capacities.

References

Abebaw, A. (2019). The Nexus Between Population and Economic Growth In Ethiopia: An Empirical Inquiry. International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research, 12. https://doi.org/10.25103/ijbesar.123.05

Alfo, M., Carbonari, L., & Trovato, G. (2020). On the Effects of Taxation on Growth: An Empirical Assessment.

Ali, S., Ali, A., & Amin, A. (2013). The impact of population growth on economic development in Pakistan. 18, 483–491. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2013.18.4.12404

Arnold, J. M. (2008). Do Tax Structures Affect Aggregate Economic Growth?: Empirical Evidence from a Panel of OECD Countries. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/236001777843

Bassanini, A., & Duval, R. (2006). Employment Patterns in OECD Countries: Reassessing the Role of Policies and Institutions. OECD, Economics Department, OECD Economics Department Working Papers.

BBC Science Focus. (2023). How many countries are there in 2025? | BBC Science Focus Magazine. https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/how-many-countries-are-there

Belnap, A., Hoopes, J. L., Maydew, E. L., & Turk, A. (2024). Real effects of tax audits. Review of Accounting Studies, 29(1), 665–700. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-022-09717-w

Besley, T., & Persson, T. (2014). Why Do Developing Countries Tax So Little? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 28(4), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.28.4.99

Blanchard, O., & Johnson, D. R. (2013). MACROECONOMICS (Sixth Edition). Pearson.

Borjas, G. J. (2013). Labor economics (6th ed). McGraw-Hill.

Breiman, L. (2001). Random Forest. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Bucci, A., Carbonari, L., Gil, P. M., & Trovato, G. (2021). Economic growth and innovation complexity: An empirical estimation of a Hidden Markov Model. Economic Modelling, 98, 86–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2021.02.006

Burggraeve, K., Walque, G. de, & Zimmer, H. (2015). The relationship between economic growth and employment. Economic Review, i, 32–52.

Cameron, A., & Trivedi, P. (2005). Microeconometrics: Methods and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511811241

Chow, G. C. (1960). Tests of Equality Between Sets of Coefficients in Two Linear Regressions. Econometrica, 28(3), 591–605. https://doi.org/10.2307/1910133

Cieślik, A., & Goczek, Ł. (2018). Control of corruption, international investment, and economic growth – Evidence from panel data. World Development, 103, 323–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.10.028

Delmas, M. A., & Pekovic, S. (2013). Environmental standards and labor productivity: Understanding the mechanisms that sustain sustainability. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(2), 230–252. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1827

Diamond, P., & Saez, E. (2011). The Case for a Progressive Tax: From Basic Research to Policy Recommendation. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 165–190. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.25.4.165

Feldstein, M. (2008). Effects of Taxes on Economic Behavior. National Tax Journal, 61(1), 131–139.

Gemmell, N., Kneller, R., & Sanz, I. (2014). The growth effects of tax rates in the OECD. The Canadian Journal of Economics / Revue Canadienne d’Economique, 47(4), 1217–1255.

Gründler, K., & Potrafke, N. (2019). Corruption and economic growth: New empirical evidence. European Journal of Political Economy, 60, 101810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2019.08.001

Hassett, K. A., & Mathur, A. (2015). A spatial model of corporate tax incidence. Applied Economics, 47(13), 1350–1365. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2014.995367

Hausman, J. A. (1978). Specification Tests in Econometrics. Econometrica, 46(6), 1251–1271. https://doi.org/10.2307/1913827

Headey, D. D., & Hodge, A. (2009). The Effect of Population Growth on Economic Growth: A Meta‐Regression Analysis of the Macroeconomic Literature. Population and Development Review, 35(2), 221–248.

Hill, C., Griffith, W., & Lim, G. (2018). Principles of Econometrics, 5th Edition | Wiley. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Principles+of+Econometrics%2C+5th+Edition-p-9781119320944

Huang, C.-J. (2016). Is corruption bad for economic growth? Evidence from Asia-Pacific countries. The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, 35, 247–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.najef.2015.10.013

Kaplow, L. (2008). The Theory of Taxation and Public Economics (STU-Student edition). Princeton University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7srnp

Kapsos, S. (2006). The Employment Intensity of Growth: Trends and Macroeconomic Determinants. In J. Felipe & R. Hasan (Eds.), Labor Markets in Asia: Issues and Perspectives (pp. 143–201). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230627383_4

Lee, R., & Mason, A. (2010). Fertility, Human Capital, and Economic Growth over the Demographic Transition / Fécondité, capital humain et croissance économique au cours de la transition démographique. European Journal of Population / Revue Européenne de Démographie, 26(2), 159–182.

Lee, Y., & Gordon, R. H. (2005). Tax structure and economic growth. Journal of Public Economics, 89(5–6), 1027–1043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.07.002

Levin, A., Lin, C.-F., & James Chu, C.-S. (2002). Unit root tests in panel data: Asymptotic and finite-sample properties. Journal of Econometrics, 108(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4076(01)00098-7

Mankiw, N. G. (2009). Macroeconomics (7th ed). Worth Publishers.

Mertens, K., & Montiel Olea, J. L. (2018). Marginal Tax Rates and Income: New Time Series Evidence*. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(4), 1803–1884. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjy008

Nguyen, A., Onnis, L., & Rossi, R. (2020). The Macroeconomic Effects of Income and Consumption Tax Changes. American Economic Journal Economic Policy. https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20170241

OECD. (2024). Statutory corporate income tax rates. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/2a082332-en

Pesaran, H. (2004). General Diagnostic Tests for Cross Section Dependence in Panels. CESifo Working Papers, 69. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.572504

Pesaran, H. (2007). A Simple Panel Unit Root Test in the Presence of Cross Section Dependence. Journal of Applied Econometrics, 22. https://doi.org/10.1002/jae.951

Pulok, M., & Ahmed, M. (2017). Does corruption matter for economic development? Long run evidence from Bangladesh. International Journal of Social Economics, 44, 350–361. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-05-2015-0132

Qureshi, F., Qureshi, S., Vinh Vo, X., & Junejo, I. (2021). Revisiting the nexus among foreign direct investment, corruption and growth in developing and developed markets. Borsa Istanbul Review, 21(1), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2020.08.001

Romer, C. D., & Romer, D. H. (2010). The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Changes: Estimates Based on a New Measure of Fiscal Shocks. American Economic Review, 100(3), 763–801. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.3.763

Shevlin, T., Shivakumar, L., & Urcan, O. (2019a). Macroeconomic effects of corporate tax policy. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 68(1), 101233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2019.03.004

Shevlin, T., Shivakumar, L., & Urcan, O. (2019b). Macroeconomic effects of corporate tax policy. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 68(1), 101233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2019.03.004

Thum-Thysen, A., & Vandeplas, A. (2019). Skills mismatch & productivity in the EU. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2765/954687

Vermeer, T. (2022, June 14). The Impact of Individual Income Tax Changes on Economic Growth. Tax Foundation. https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/income-taxes-affect-economy/

Watson, G., & McBride, W. (2021). Evaluating Proposals to Increase the Corporate Tax Rate and Levy a Minimum Tax on Corporate Book Income. Tax Foundation.

Wooldridge, J. M. (2010). Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data. The MIT Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5hhcfr

Downloads

Published

2025-12-10