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Estimating the natural rate of interest in an open economy

Author

Listed:
  • Mark A. Wynne

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas)

  • Ren Zhang

    (Bowling Green State University)

Abstract

The concept of the natural or equilibrium rate of interest has attracted a lot of attention from monetary policymakers in recent years. Most attempts to estimate the natural rate use a closed-economy framework. We argue that in the face of greater integration of global product and capital markets, an open economy framework is more appropriate. We provide some initial estimates of the natural rate for the USA and Japan in a two-country framework. Our identifying assumptions include a close relationship between the time-varying natural rate of interest and the low-frequency fluctuations of potential output growth in both the home country and the foreign country. Our results suggest that the natural rates in both countries are mainly determined by their own trend growth rates of potential output. Nevertheless, the other country’s trend growth plays an important role in several specific periods. The gap between the actual real interest rate and our estimated natural rate offers valuable insights into the recent stance of monetary policy in both of these two countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark A. Wynne & Ren Zhang, 2018. "Estimating the natural rate of interest in an open economy," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 1291-1318, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:55:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s00181-017-1315-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-017-1315-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Dario Caldara & Etienne Gagnon & Enrique Martinez-Garcia & Christopher J. Neely, 2020. "Monetary Policy and Economic Performance since the Financial Crisis," Working Papers 2020-026, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, revised 02 Nov 2020.
    2. Andrey Sinyakov & Alexey Porshakov, 2019. "Estimates of the Natural Rate of Interest for Russia: Is ‘Navigating by the Stars’ Useful?," Russian Journal of Money and Finance, Bank of Russia, vol. 78(4), pages 3-47, December.
    3. Gabriele Fiorentini & Alessandro Galesi & Gabriel Pérez-Quirós & Enrique Sentana, 2018. "The rise and fall of the natural interest rate," Working Papers 1822, Banco de España.
    4. Lian An & Mark A. Wynne & Ren Zhang, 2020. "Shock-Dependent Exchange Rate Pass-Through: Evidence Based on a Narrative Sign Approach," Globalization Institute Working Papers 379, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    5. Chunjiao Yu & Ren Zhang & Lian An & Zhixing Yu, 2020. "Has China’s Belt and Road Initiative Intensified Bilateral Trade Links between China and the Involved Countries?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, August.
    6. Martínez-García, Enrique, 2021. "Get the lowdown: The international side of the fall in the U.S. natural rate of interest," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    7. NAKAJIMA, Jouchi & SUDO, Nao & HOGEN, Yoshihiko & TAKIZUKA, Yasutaka, 2023. "On the estimation of the natural yield curve," Discussion Paper Series 753, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    8. Dario Caldara & Etienne Gagnon & Enrique Martínez García & Christopher J. Neely, 2021. "Monetary Policy and Economic Performance Since the Financial Crisis," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 103(4), pages 425-460, October.
    9. Mark A. Wynne & Ren Zhang, 2018. "Measuring The World Natural Rate Of Interest," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(1), pages 530-544, January.
    10. Doojav, Gan-Ochir & Gantumur, Munkhbayar, 2020. "Measuring the natural rate of interest in a commodity exporting economy: Evidence from Mongolia," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 199-218.
    11. An, Lian & Wynne, Mark A. & Zhang, Ren, 2021. "Shock-dependent exchange rate pass-through: Evidence based on a narrative sign approach for Japan," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    12. Maurice Obstfeld, 2023. "The Mayekawa Lecture: Perspectives on r-bar and r-star," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 41, pages 31-48, November.
    13. Zhang, Ren & Martínez-García, Enrique & Wynne, Mark A. & Grossman, Valerie, 2021. "Ties that bind: Estimating the natural rate of interest for small open economies," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    14. Maurice Obstfeld, 2023. "Perspectives on r-bar and r-star," IMES Discussion Paper Series 23-E-03, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    15. David Elkayam & Guy Segal, 2018. "Estimated Natural Rate of Interest in an Open Economy: The Case of Israel," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2018.05, Bank of Israel.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Natural rate of interest; Unobserved component; Bayesian analysis; International economics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E4 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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