Long term growth in the Caribbean: a balance of payments constraint approach

Abstract

The long-term growth of economies of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) exhibits three characteristics. First, the aggregate rate of growth of CARICOM economies has declined over time. Second, the decline is attributed mainly to the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) as the More Developed Countries (MDCs) have in fact improved their growth performance. Third, all economies show a stagnation in growth since the middle of the 1990s. Fourth, a process of increasing divergence characterizes the growth performance of CARICOM economies.