Foreign direct investment, home country institutions, and local human development in Brazil

Abstract

Multinational companies (MNCs) are influenced by their home country institutions. But how does the interaction between home country and host region institutions affect human development in countries with significant regional disparities? To address this question, we collected a unique dataset of FDI from 52 countries in 92 Brazilian municipalities and created a Home Country Institutional Index (HCII). Econometric analyses show that a higher share of foreign companies from countries with high levels of human development is positively associated with local education, health, and income. However, this effect is non-linear and more pronounced in institutionally weak regions.