Does human capital create economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa? : An empirical analysis of the relationship between human capital and economic growth.

Abstract: The objective of this thesis is to investigate if human capital has a significant impact on economic growth. This is tested with a panel data regression model where data is taken annually from the Sub-Saharan Africa region between the years 1988-2011. The final regression model displayed education as a positive factor for GDP per capita growth, but not at a significant level. This result resembles many previous studies, and leads to the conclusion that we do not have a significant relationship between education enrolment and economic growth. The result raises the question if enrolment rates in school are a valid variable to capture human capital with, and calls for more investigations on the quality aspect of education.