• Graduate Programs
    • Tinbergen Institute Research Master in Economics
      • Why Tinbergen Institute?
      • Research Master
      • Admissions
      • Course Registration
      • Facilities
      • PhD Vacancies
      • Selected PhD Placements
    • Research Master Business Data Science
    • PhD Vacancies
  • Research
  • Browse our Courses
  • Events
    • Summer School
      • Applied Public Policy Evaluation
      • Deep Learning
      • Economics of Blockchain and Digital Currencies
      • Economics of Climate Change
      • Foundations of Machine Learning with Applications in Python
      • From Preference to Choice: The Economic Theory of Decision-Making
      • Gender in Society
      • Machine Learning for Business
      • Marketing Research with Purpose
      • Sustainable Finance
      • Tuition Fees and Payment
      • Business Data Science Summer School Program
    • Events Calendar
    • Events Archive
    • Tinbergen Institute Lectures
    • 16th Tinbergen Institute Annual Conference
    • Annual Tinbergen Institute Conference
  • News
  • Alumni
    • PhD Theses
    • Master Theses
    • Selected PhD Placements
    • Key alumni publications
    • Alumni Community

Oks, D. and van Wijnbergen, S. (1995). Mexico after the debt crisis: is growth sustainable? Journal of Development Economics, 47(1):155--178.


  • Journal
    Journal of Development Economics

This paper argues that, in the case of Mexico's debt and debt service reduction agreed with London Club creditors, the 'smoothening' of the external transfer had a much stronger domestic impact than the reduction of debt/debt service per se. The financing of the expansion that ensued following the debt deal was facilitated by strong foreign capital inflows. However, along with the capital inflow, there was a sharp decline in private saving which raised concerns about the sustainability of the recovery. The paper argues that, even if domestic saving increases from the low level reached in 1992, the transition to a sustainable growth path is unlikely to be smooth, as the slowdown in consumption growth is likely to be contractionary. The net outcome will depend on how investment and net exports respond. The analysis of cyclical and structural factors of investment and net exports leads to a cautious optimism over the medium term.