Military spending, public debt, and economic growth in Cameroon

This paper investigates the effect of military spending and public debt on economic growth in Cameroon over the period 1980–2021. The methodology involves ARDL models. The results indicate that public debt and military expenditures harm economic growth in the short and long runs and highlight sustainable thresholds for public debt (56.42% of GDP) and military spending (between 1.29% and 1.47% of GDP), ceteris paribus. In addition, official development assistance and the size of the government enhance economic growth, while natural resource rents, corruption, and inflation contribute negatively to growth. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to the Cameroonian government.