Corruption Control and Economic Growth: A Meta‐Analysis With Regional Evidence

ABSTRACT Synthesizing 1052 estimates extracted from 116 studies, this paper examines whether corruption control impacts economic growth and whether the effect differs across regions. Using heterogeneity‐robust synthesis methods, we find evidence that corruption control promotes economic growth both globally and at the regional level. Although publication selection bias is present in the literature, bias‐corrected effect sizes remain positive and statistically significant, indicating a genuine growth‐enhancing effect. Meta‐regression analysis further reveals significant regional heterogeneity: The growth effect of corruption control is significantly stronger in Asia and Latin America than in Europe and the Middle East and Africa, even after controlling for study characteristics. Our findings support the “sand the wheels” hypothesis and imply that corruption reflects institutional failure rather than a functional informal institution.