Education's Contribution to Sustainable Economic Growth in Romania

This paper investigates the relationship manifested between GDP growth within the group of the EU's new member states (NMS) and some indicators specific to the educational system, using regression analysis. We identify some educational factors that influence the GDP's sustainable growth rate in the EU's NMS and Romania, such as percentage of persons with lower secondary education attainment and employment rate of persons with tertiary education. The study recommends that in order to boost sustainable development in the EU area it is necessary in the future for EU's new member states to encourage the increase of human capital's value and macroeconomic development and stability. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.