Alternative Estimates of Productivity Growth in the NICs: A Comment on the Findings of Chang-Tai Hsieh

Alwyn Young

NBER Working Paper No. 6657
Issued in July 1998
NBER Program(s):   EFG

Dual estimates of productivity growth by Chang-Tai Hsieh have raised questions about the accuracy of the East Asian national accounts, suggesting that productivity growth in the NICs, particularly Singapore, may have been substantially higher than previously estimated. This paper shows that once one corrects for computational and methodological errors, dual estimates, using Hsieh's own data, are not that far removed from the results implied by primal sources. Further, Hsieh's criticisms of the accuracy of the national accounts capital formation figures are shown to be invalid. Finally, other data exist which support the picture of declining real rentals painted by the national accounts capital formation figures.

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