Interview with the Executive Secretary of ECLAC

This paper analyzes the sources of economic growth of the world economy, seven regions, and fourteen major economies during three periods – 1989-1995, 1995-2000, and 20002006. We allocate the growth of world output, as measured in the World Bank’s International Comparison Program, between input growth and productivity. We find, surprisingly, that input growth greatly predominates! Moreover, except for the industrialized economies, differences in per capita output levels are explained by differences in per capita input, rather than variations in productivity. The contribution of investment in information technology has increased in all regions, but especially in industrialized economies and Developing Asia.