This paper investigates the determinants of real interest rates at world and country level. The starting point is the idea that the real interest rates reflect the interaction of desired saving and planned investment, using the framework developed by Barro and Sala-i- Martin (1990) and Barro (1992).

The paper presents the basics of a new and flexible approach to statistically modelling the activities of multi-sectoral economies (Tran Van Hoa, 1992) and applies it to study investment in five major East Asian countries (ie, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand) during the period...