1999-06-161999-06-161999-06-161999-06-16https://repositorio.banrep.gov.co/handle/20.500.12134/5141The relationship between infrastructure capital and economic growth has been controversial. A number of empirical studies have found very high returns to infrastructure investment (Aschauer, 1989; Canning and Fay, 1993). But, the robustness of the results have been questioned in other empirical studies and surveys (Gramlich, 1994; Munnell, 1992).2 A major problem seems to be that interactions between infrastructure and GDP are mediated in the short run by a host of variables that cannot all be captured in statistical studies, and in the long run causality between infrastructure and GDP cannot be established. While infrastructure may give rise to higher productivity and output, past and future economic growth also tend to raise the demand for infrastructure services and induce increased supply.3 Moreover, infrastructure inadequacies may not have tangible output consequences in the short or medium run because infrastructure services have substitutes and the assets may be used with different intensities.4 As a result, the empirical basis of the case for high returns to infrastructure investment has been elusive.PDFspaOpen AccessWorking PaperH54 - Infrastructures; Other Public Investment and Capital StockL9 - Industry Studies: Transportation and UtilitiesL33 - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprises and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting OutO4 - Economic Growth and Aggregate ProductivityO57 - Comparative Studies of CountriesEconomicGrowthInfraestructura (Economía)Desarrollo económicoCrecimiento económicoAcceso abiertoAtribucion-NoComercial-CompartirIgual CC BY-NC-SA 4.0L9 - Estudios sectoriales: transportes y suministros básicosO57 - Estudios comparativos por paísesH54 - Infraestructuras; Otras inversiones públicas y stock de capitalL33 - Comparación entre empresas públicas, privadas e instituciones sin ánimo de lucro; Privatización; SubcontrataciónO4 - Crecimiento económico y productividad agregadaLas opiniones contenidas en el presente documento son responsabilidad exclusiva de los autores y no comprometen al Banco de la República ni a su Junta Directiva.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12134/5141