Relative National Efficiency and Country Size: Evidence for Developing Countries

The paper investigates the impact of country size on aggregate national efficiency, using a nonparametric programming methodology to measure output distance functions and relative national efficiency for a group of 85 developing countries over the period 1980–89. Tobit regression models are estimated in order to identify the influence of national and policy characteristics on intercountry differences in relative efficiency levels. The results indicate that there is a strong positive developmental–efficiency relationship and evidence of a positive impact of trade policy openness on aggregate efficiency. There is also some evidence of a country size constraint on efficiency when other influences are controlled for.