Transportation, access to safe sanitation, and number of midwives and economic growth in districts in Indonesia

Abstract

Transportation is the main driver of all economic sectors in a country. It boosts economic activity and promotes a commodity and geographical area. As a maritime country with more than 17,000 islands Indonesia needs to connect through transportation so that economy can grow and commodities across regions can be traded and commercialized. Other factors that affect economic growth are health personnel and infrastructure development. This study is aimed to investigate the association between transportation, access to sanitation, and health personnel availability and economic growth in districts (kabupaten/kota) in Indonesia. The data used came from the Indonesia Database for Policy and Economic Research (INDO-DAPOER) of the World Bank that covered 331 districts in Indonesia in 2005, 2008, and 2011. The dependent variable was the total GDP excluding oil and gas, while the independent variables were the villages with asphalt road, household access to safe sanitation, and the number of midwives. The results of the study indicate that in districts in Indonesia higher GDP was associated with higher percentage of village with asphalt road, higher percentage of households with access to safe sanitation, and higher number of midwives.