Heterogeneous effects of human capital on income in developing countries: a gender-based approach

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Résumé

This article investigates the heterogeneous effects of human capital on income per capita in developing countries using a gender-based approach. The empirical analysis relies on a quantile moment regression, using data from 83 developing countries over the period 2000–2018. The results show that human capital has a positive and statistically significant effect on income per capita across all income levels. However, this effect varies along the income distribution, with the coefficient decreasing from 0.578 at the 10th quantile to 0.389 at the 90th quantile, indicating a stronger marginal contribution of human capital in lower-income countries. The gender-disaggregated analysis reveals that male human capital has a stronger initial effect, but its influence declines substantially from 0.520 to 0.163 across quantiles. Conversely, female human capital becomes increasingly important as income levels rise, with its coefficient increasing from 0.366 to 0.419. The study emphasizes the need for gender-sensitive human capital policies. Enhancing women’s access to education and skills development appears particularly crucial for sustaining long-term economic growth in developing countries. The results support more inclusive and context-specific policy frameworks that account for both gender dynamics and income heterogeneity.

Mots-clés

Human capital, Per capita income, Developing country, Per capita, Quantile, Income distribution, Physical capital, Quantile regression