Investigating the Long-run Influences of Human Capital on Innovation and Economic Growth in MENA Countries

Human capital is supposed to be an important factor in innovation and economic development. However, the long-run influence of human capital on current innovation and economic development is still unclear, in particular in the MENA region. Therefore, the present study is to investigate the long-run influence of human capital on innovation and economic growth in MENA countries for the years 2010-2012. The data were collected using the library method from the World Bank database and were analyzed using statistical and econometric methods for panel data. The results obtained from this study showed that human capital had a positive, significant influence on innovation and economic growth in MENA countries. The same influence was observed for the population density in some age groups (more educated people) on the patents in MENA countries.