Financial development, economic growth, and income inequality: a Toda-Yamamoto panel causality test

Abstract

This paper examines the causality between financial development, economic growth, and income inequality using panel data for 23 European Union countries over the period 1987-2017. The empirical study employs a trivariate setting of Granger non-causality test of heterogeneous panels adopting the Toda and Yamamoto approach using several proxies of financial development capturing different dimensions of the banking system and stock markets. The findings suggest mixed evidence for the causality direction between financial development and economic growth and financial development and income inequality. In addition, the results support bidirectional causality between economic growth and inequality and one-way causality from inequality to growth. The policymakers can focus primarily on economic growth to raise the demand for financial services and encourage income distribution.