Analyzing the Impact of Foreign Capital Inflows on Domestic Savings in Pakistan: A Comprehensive Time Series Investigation

Abstract

This research delves into the ramifications of foreign capital inflows on domestic savings within the context of Pakistan. Utilizing annual time series data spanning from 1972 to 2022, this study employs the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) methodology alongside causality analysis. The findings underscore that factors such as labor force participation rate, gross fixed capital formation, deposit interest rate, foreign direct investment, trade, GDP growth, and foreign remittances exert a favorable influence on gross domestic savings over the long term. Conversely, variables encompassing age dependency, external debt stock, and net official development assistance exhibit a detrimental impact on gross domestic savings. Furthermore, the outcomes derived from the Granger causality test reveal the absence of causal relationships between foreign direct investment, remittances, trade, external debt, and gross domestic savings. Notably, unilateral causality is identified solely between net official development assistance and gross domestic savings.