Causality between foreign aid and life expectancy in Zimbabwe

https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v5i3.2704
Published: May 20, 2025

Abstract:

Purpose: To investigate the causal relationship between foreign aid and life expectancy in Zimbabwe.

Research methodology: This study employed a Granger causality test to analyze the causal relationship between foreign aid and life expectancy for the period–1980-2019.

Results: This study revealed that there is no causal relationship between foreign aid and life expectancy in Zimbabwe.

Conclusions: This study focuses on the causal relationship between foreign aid and life expectancy in Zimbabwe. This finding reveals that aid does not improve life expectancy. Policies for Zimbabwe should not focus much on improving life expectancy by relying mostly on foreign aid, but through domestic financing.

Limitations: The study's limitations include potential factors that may not have been included, which could impact the relationship between aid and life expectancy. These results are specific to Zimbabwe and may not be generalizable to other countries.

Contribution: This study offers valuable insights to the government and other stakeholders in formulating evidence-based policies aimed at optimizing the utilization of foreign aid. Specifically, these findings can inform the design of targeted health policies with the potential to positively influence life expectancy outcomes in Zimbabwe.

Novelty: While previous research has often focused on broad economic indicators, this study uniquely emphasizes health outcomes, specifically life expectancy, as a key measure of development. This study highlights the critical issues of aid mismanagement and corruption, advocating for greater transparency and accountability in the usage of foreign aid.

Keywords:
1. Causality
2. Foreign Aid
3. Life Expectancy
4. Zimbabwe
Authors:
1 . Talent Kondo
Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe
2 . Simba Mutsvangwa
Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe
3 . Robson Mandishekwa
Midlands State University, Zimbabwe
View PDF
How to Cite
Kondo, T., Mutsvangwa , S., & Mandishekwa , R. (2025). Causality between foreign aid and life expectancy in Zimbabwe. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 5(3), 179–193. https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v5i3.2704
Download Citation
  1. Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
  2. BibTeX

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Issue & Section
Vol. 5 No. 3 (2025): May
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

References

    Adebanji, F. B., Nwosa, P. I., Ojo, O., & Alake, O. J. (2020). Foreign aid and child mortality rate in Nigeria. Signifikan: Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi, 9(2), 187-194. https://doi.org/10.15408/sjie.v9i2.14960

    Ak?ll?, E. (2022). Türkiye’s Foreign Aids Leadership in Africa. Uluslararas? Liderlik Çal??malar? Dergisi: Kuram ve Uygulama, 5(2), 140-152. https://doi.org/10.52848/ijls.1137500

    Asteriou, D., & Hall, S. G. (2007). Applied Econometrics: a modern approach, revised edition. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 46(2), 117-155.

    Brooks, C. (2019). Introductory econometrics for finance: Cambridge university press.

    Brooks, D. G. (1989). Akaike information criterion statistics: Taylor & Francis.

    Chenery, H. B. (1967). Foreign Assistance and Economic Development. International Economic Association Series, 268-292. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15238-4_9

    Chika, O. V., Oshiogwemoh, D., & Promise, E. (2022). Impact of tax reforms on economic growth of Nigeria (2000-2021). Goodwood Akuntansi dan Auditing Reviu, 1(1), 79-95. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/gaar.v1i1.1506

    Dalgaard, C.-J., & Hansen, H. (2015). The return to foreign aid. No. 2015/053. Retrieved from

    Diebold, F. X. (2017). Forecasting in economics, business, finance and beyond: University of Pennsylvania.

    Easterly, W., Levine, R., & Roodman, D. (2004). Aid, policies, and growth: comment. American economic review, 94(3), 774-780. 10.1257/0002828041464560

    Engle, R. F., & Granger, C. W. (1987). Co-integration and error correction: representation, estimation, and testing. Econometrica: Journal of the econometric society, 251-276. https://doi.org/10.2307/1913236

    Eze, A. E., Okpara, U. H., & Madichie, C. V. (2020). Impact of foreign aid on economic growth in Nigeria. Socialscientia: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(1), 52-64.

    Galbraith, J. K. (1961). A positive approach to economic aid. Foreign Affairs, 39(3), 444-457.

    Gayawan, E., & Ipinyomi, R. A. (2009). A comparison of Akaike, Schwarz and R square criteria for model selection using some fertility models. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3(4), 3524-3530.

    Greene, W. H. (2003). Econometric analysis. Pretence Hall.

    Gujarati, D. (2014). Econometrics by example: Bloomsbury Publishing.

    Gujarati, D. N. (2009). Basic econometrics: McGraw-Hill.

    Herzer, D. (2019). The long-run effect of aid on health: evidence from panel cointegration analysis. Applied economics, 51(12), 1319-1338. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2018.1527449

    Jensen, D. O. (2024). Navigating Complexity: Norway's Approach to Aligning Global Aid Funding Streams. NTNU.

    Kamguia, B., Tadadjeu, S., Miamo, C., & Njangang, H. (2022). Does foreign aid impede economic complexity in developing countries? International Economics, 169, 71-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2021.10.004

    Karanda, C., & Toledano, N. (2018). Foreign aid versus support to social entrepreneurs: Reviewing the way of fighting poverty in Zimbabwe. Development Southern Africa, 35(4), 480-496. https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2018.1482198

    Kharel, K. R., Adhikari, D. B., & Khadka, R. B. (2021). Assessing the Effectiveness of Foreign AID and Its Mobilization in Nepal. Janapriya Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 10(01), 51-64. https://doi.org/10.3126/jjis.v10i01.42585

    Koehler, A. B., & Murphree, E. S. (1988). A comparison of the Akaike and Schwarz criteria for selecting model order. Journal of the royal statistical society: Series C (applied statistics), 37(2), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.2307/2347338

    Kondo, T., & Mutsvangwa, S. (2025). The dynamics of fiscal deficit and current account in 12 SADC countries. Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, 5(1), 17-31. https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v5i1.2499

    Korkmaz, S., & Kulunk, I. (2016). Granger causality between life expectancy, education and economic growth in OECD countries. Economic Research Guardian, 6(1), 2.

    Mary, S., & Gomez y Paloma, S. (2015). Does Aid Decrease Child Mortality?

    McKinnon, R. I. (1964). Foreign exchange constraints in economic development and efficient aid allocation. The Economic Journal, 74(294), 388-409. https://doi.org/10.2307/2228486

    Mikesell, R. F. (2017). The economics of foreign aid: Routledge.

    Moyo, L., & Tsakata Mafuso, L. (2017). The effectiveness of foreign aid on economic development in developing countries: A case of Zimbabwe (1980-2000). Journal of Social Sciences, 52(1-3), 173-187. 10.1080/09718923.2017.1305554

    Murwirapachena, G., & Mlambo, C. (2015). Life expectancy in Zimbabwe: an analysis of five decades. The International Business & Economics Research Journal (Online), 14(3), 417. https://doi.org/10.19030/iber.v14i3.9207

    Nairobi, N., Santi, N. R., & Afif, F. Y. (2021). The impact of the quality of democracy on the economic growth of provinces in Indonesia. Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, 1(2), 121-132. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v1i2.626

    Nasir, M. S., & Ahsan, M. Q. (2023). Coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on the world’s economy. Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Entrepreneurship, 4(2), 105-115. https://doi.org/10.35912/joste.v4i2.501

    Okuji, P. (2023). THE NATURE OF FOREIGN AID AND ITS IMPACT ON NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

    Oseni, I. O. (2022). Effect of Health Aid on Life Expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    Pesaran, M. H., Shin, Y., & Smith, R. J. (2001). Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships. Journal of applied econometrics, 16(3), 289-326. https://doi.org/10.1002/jae.616

    Prebisch, R. (1950). The economic development of Latin America and its principal problems. Retrieved from https://repositorio.cepal.org/entities/publication/9a00fa5b-ad04-4520-ae4c-e3adba791790

    Rostow, W. W. (2013). The stages of economic growth Sociological Worlds (pp. 130-134): Routledge.

    Sawitri, R. A. D., Eltivia, N., & Riwajanti, N. I. (2021). Forecasting the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Entrepreneurship, 2(4), 233-251. https://doi.org/10.35912/joste.v2i4.945

    ?entürk, ?., & Ali, A. (2021). Socioeconomic determinants of gender-specific life expectancy in Turkey: A time series analysis. Sosyoekonomi, 29(49), 85-111. https://doi.org/10.17233/sosyoekonomi.2021.03.05

    Shpak, M. (2021). Lawyer as a Subject of Professional Legal Aid in Civil Procedure of Ukraine. Herald Civ. Proc., 112.

    Tang, K.-B., & Bundhoo, D. (2017). Foreign aid and economic growth in developing countries: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. Theoretical Economics Letters, 7(05), 1473. 10.4236/tel.2017.75099

    Tsaurai, K. (2021). Impact of foreign aid on poverty in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. A panel data analysis approach. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Œconomica, 17(3), 89-106.

    Wayoro, D., & Ndikumana, L. (2020). Impact of development aid on infant mortality: Micro?level evidence from Côte d'Ivoire. African Development Review, 32(3), 432-445. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8268.12450

    worldbank. (2013). Global financial development report 2014 : financial inclusion. Retrieved from https://documents.worldbank.org/pt/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/225251468330270218/global-financial-development-report-2014-financial-inclusion

    Yeboah, S. A. (2020). Modelling inflation-interest rate nexus for Ghana. International Journal of Financial, Accounting, and Management, 2(3), 227-241. https://doi.org/10.35912/ijfam.v2i3.257

  1. Adebanji, F. B., Nwosa, P. I., Ojo, O., & Alake, O. J. (2020). Foreign aid and child mortality rate in Nigeria. Signifikan: Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi, 9(2), 187-194. https://doi.org/10.15408/sjie.v9i2.14960
  2. Ak?ll?, E. (2022). Türkiye’s Foreign Aids Leadership in Africa. Uluslararas? Liderlik Çal??malar? Dergisi: Kuram ve Uygulama, 5(2), 140-152. https://doi.org/10.52848/ijls.1137500
  3. Asteriou, D., & Hall, S. G. (2007). Applied Econometrics: a modern approach, revised edition. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 46(2), 117-155.
  4. Brooks, C. (2019). Introductory econometrics for finance: Cambridge university press.
  5. Brooks, D. G. (1989). Akaike information criterion statistics: Taylor & Francis.
  6. Chenery, H. B. (1967). Foreign Assistance and Economic Development. International Economic Association Series, 268-292. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15238-4_9
  7. Chika, O. V., Oshiogwemoh, D., & Promise, E. (2022). Impact of tax reforms on economic growth of Nigeria (2000-2021). Goodwood Akuntansi dan Auditing Reviu, 1(1), 79-95. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/gaar.v1i1.1506
  8. Dalgaard, C.-J., & Hansen, H. (2015). The return to foreign aid. No. 2015/053. Retrieved from
  9. Diebold, F. X. (2017). Forecasting in economics, business, finance and beyond: University of Pennsylvania.
  10. Easterly, W., Levine, R., & Roodman, D. (2004). Aid, policies, and growth: comment. American economic review, 94(3), 774-780. 10.1257/0002828041464560
  11. Engle, R. F., & Granger, C. W. (1987). Co-integration and error correction: representation, estimation, and testing. Econometrica: Journal of the econometric society, 251-276. https://doi.org/10.2307/1913236
  12. Eze, A. E., Okpara, U. H., & Madichie, C. V. (2020). Impact of foreign aid on economic growth in Nigeria. Socialscientia: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(1), 52-64.
  13. Galbraith, J. K. (1961). A positive approach to economic aid. Foreign Affairs, 39(3), 444-457.
  14. Gayawan, E., & Ipinyomi, R. A. (2009). A comparison of Akaike, Schwarz and R square criteria for model selection using some fertility models. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3(4), 3524-3530.
  15. Greene, W. H. (2003). Econometric analysis. Pretence Hall.
  16. Gujarati, D. (2014). Econometrics by example: Bloomsbury Publishing.
  17. Gujarati, D. N. (2009). Basic econometrics: McGraw-Hill.
  18. Herzer, D. (2019). The long-run effect of aid on health: evidence from panel cointegration analysis. Applied economics, 51(12), 1319-1338. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2018.1527449
  19. Jensen, D. O. (2024). Navigating Complexity: Norway's Approach to Aligning Global Aid Funding Streams. NTNU.
  20. Kamguia, B., Tadadjeu, S., Miamo, C., & Njangang, H. (2022). Does foreign aid impede economic complexity in developing countries? International Economics, 169, 71-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2021.10.004
  21. Karanda, C., & Toledano, N. (2018). Foreign aid versus support to social entrepreneurs: Reviewing the way of fighting poverty in Zimbabwe. Development Southern Africa, 35(4), 480-496. https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2018.1482198
  22. Kharel, K. R., Adhikari, D. B., & Khadka, R. B. (2021). Assessing the Effectiveness of Foreign AID and Its Mobilization in Nepal. Janapriya Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 10(01), 51-64. https://doi.org/10.3126/jjis.v10i01.42585
  23. Koehler, A. B., & Murphree, E. S. (1988). A comparison of the Akaike and Schwarz criteria for selecting model order. Journal of the royal statistical society: Series C (applied statistics), 37(2), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.2307/2347338
  24. Kondo, T., & Mutsvangwa, S. (2025). The dynamics of fiscal deficit and current account in 12 SADC countries. Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, 5(1), 17-31. https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v5i1.2499
  25. Korkmaz, S., & Kulunk, I. (2016). Granger causality between life expectancy, education and economic growth in OECD countries. Economic Research Guardian, 6(1), 2.
  26. Mary, S., & Gomez y Paloma, S. (2015). Does Aid Decrease Child Mortality?
  27. McKinnon, R. I. (1964). Foreign exchange constraints in economic development and efficient aid allocation. The Economic Journal, 74(294), 388-409. https://doi.org/10.2307/2228486
  28. Mikesell, R. F. (2017). The economics of foreign aid: Routledge.
  29. Moyo, L., & Tsakata Mafuso, L. (2017). The effectiveness of foreign aid on economic development in developing countries: A case of Zimbabwe (1980-2000). Journal of Social Sciences, 52(1-3), 173-187. 10.1080/09718923.2017.1305554
  30. Murwirapachena, G., & Mlambo, C. (2015). Life expectancy in Zimbabwe: an analysis of five decades. The International Business & Economics Research Journal (Online), 14(3), 417. https://doi.org/10.19030/iber.v14i3.9207
  31. Nairobi, N., Santi, N. R., & Afif, F. Y. (2021). The impact of the quality of democracy on the economic growth of provinces in Indonesia. Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, 1(2), 121-132. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v1i2.626
  32. Nasir, M. S., & Ahsan, M. Q. (2023). Coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on the world’s economy. Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Entrepreneurship, 4(2), 105-115. https://doi.org/10.35912/joste.v4i2.501
  33. Okuji, P. (2023). THE NATURE OF FOREIGN AID AND ITS IMPACT ON NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
  34. Oseni, I. O. (2022). Effect of Health Aid on Life Expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  35. Pesaran, M. H., Shin, Y., & Smith, R. J. (2001). Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships. Journal of applied econometrics, 16(3), 289-326. https://doi.org/10.1002/jae.616
  36. Prebisch, R. (1950). The economic development of Latin America and its principal problems. Retrieved from https://repositorio.cepal.org/entities/publication/9a00fa5b-ad04-4520-ae4c-e3adba791790
  37. Rostow, W. W. (2013). The stages of economic growth Sociological Worlds (pp. 130-134): Routledge.
  38. Sawitri, R. A. D., Eltivia, N., & Riwajanti, N. I. (2021). Forecasting the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Entrepreneurship, 2(4), 233-251. https://doi.org/10.35912/joste.v2i4.945
  39. ?entürk, ?., & Ali, A. (2021). Socioeconomic determinants of gender-specific life expectancy in Turkey: A time series analysis. Sosyoekonomi, 29(49), 85-111. https://doi.org/10.17233/sosyoekonomi.2021.03.05
  40. Shpak, M. (2021). Lawyer as a Subject of Professional Legal Aid in Civil Procedure of Ukraine. Herald Civ. Proc., 112.
  41. Tang, K.-B., & Bundhoo, D. (2017). Foreign aid and economic growth in developing countries: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. Theoretical Economics Letters, 7(05), 1473. 10.4236/tel.2017.75099
  42. Tsaurai, K. (2021). Impact of foreign aid on poverty in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. A panel data analysis approach. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Œconomica, 17(3), 89-106.
  43. Wayoro, D., & Ndikumana, L. (2020). Impact of development aid on infant mortality: Micro?level evidence from Côte d'Ivoire. African Development Review, 32(3), 432-445. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8268.12450
  44. worldbank. (2013). Global financial development report 2014 : financial inclusion. Retrieved from https://documents.worldbank.org/pt/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/225251468330270218/global-financial-development-report-2014-financial-inclusion
  45. Yeboah, S. A. (2020). Modelling inflation-interest rate nexus for Ghana. International Journal of Financial, Accounting, and Management, 2(3), 227-241. https://doi.org/10.35912/ijfam.v2i3.257