Role of Education and Entrepreneurship in Emerging and Developing Economies: A Systemic Review

Abstract While education-entrepreneurship interaction is well-known as a powerful means of economic development, the literature on this topic is scattered throughout disciplines and ways of approach. This systematic review aims to draw a synthesis of empirical evidence demonstrating the relationship between education (general and entrepreneurship-specific) and entrepreneurial outcomes in emerging and developing economies, and to the broader economic development process. Based on the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram, we conducted systematic searches on two databases, SCOPUS and Web of Science, and selected 28 articles for inclusion from 2005 to 2025. Most of the studies were of quantitative design and were carried out in different settings in Asia, Africa, Latin America and transition economies. Three main themes emerged from the synthesis: human capital formation, intentionality and venture creation, and institutional and contextual moderation. The results suggest that education has a strong, but contingent influence on entrepreneurial selection, performance and success. Entrepreneurship education is more of a moderating factor than an immediate cause of entrepreneurship, as its influence depends on the quality of the educational process, the level of its practical component, and the support it receives in the institution. General education is correlated with increased enterprise income and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship, with varying impacts by gender, sector and institutional context, especially at secondary and tertiary level. The results emphasize the importance of context-specific education design and policy integration between human capital development and support for an entrepreneurial ecosystem.