IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ddj/fseeai/y2024i3p188-195.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

SWOT Analysis: Comparing and Evaluating Methods of Measuring Shadow Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Lavinia Mastac

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania)

  • Diane Paula Corina Vancea

    (Ovidius University of Constanța, Romania)

Abstract

This study evaluates and compares different methods of measuring shadow economy. Every methodology offers individual perspectives that often lead to divergent national rankings. The analysed methods include MIMIC, statistical discrepancies, monetary demand, electricity use, surveys and composite indicators. By applying a SWOT analysis, the strong and weak points for every method, were identified. This research focuses on the complexity of shadow economy and the inherent challenges in quantifying it. The study underlines the importance of improving the accuracy of these methods by including new data regarding digital transactions and sectorial indicators. The analysis proposes to offer a comprehensive understanding of the methods that best suit different research contexts. Also, the study wishes to inform about the decisional process in which economic policies are elaborated and implemented. Especially regarding tax evasion and conformity to regulations, the process can be positively or negatively influenced, depending on which national ranking is based.

Suggested Citation

  • Lavinia Mastac & Diane Paula Corina Vancea, 2024. "SWOT Analysis: Comparing and Evaluating Methods of Measuring Shadow Economy," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 3, pages 188-195.
    • Handle: RePEc:ddj:fseeai:y:2024:i:3:p:188-195
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/eai15840409444
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eia.feaa.ugal.ro/images/eia/2024_3/Mastac_Vancea.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/https://doi.org/10.35219/eai15840409444?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Friedrich Schneider, 2023. "Do Different Estimation Methods Lead to Implausible Differences in the Size of Nonobserved or Shadow Economies? A Preliminary Answer," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 15(1), pages 257-277, October.
    2. Leandro Medina & Friedrich Schneider, 2017. "Shadow Economies around the World: New Results for 158 Countries over 1991-2015," CESifo Working Paper Series 6430, CESifo.
    3. Friedrich Schneider & Andreas Buehn & Claudio Montenegro, 2010. "New Estimates for the Shadow Economies all over the World," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 443-461.
    4. Friedrich Schneider & Andreas Buehn & Claudio E. Montenegro, 2011. "Shadow Economies All Over the World: New Estimates for 162 Countries from 1999 to 2007," Chapters, in: Friedrich Schneider (ed.), Handbook on the Shadow Economy, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Friedrich SCHNEIDER, 2016. "Estimating the Size of the Shadow Economy: Methods, Problems and Open Questions," Turkish Economic Review, KSP Journals, vol. 3(2), pages 256-280, June.
    6. Iulia-Oana FLOREA & Kamer-Ainur AIVAZ, 2022. "The Dimension of the Phenomenon of Economic Crime. A Hierarchical Classification of EU Countries at the Level of 2021," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 3, pages 125-134.
    7. Ceyhun Elgin & Oguz Oztunali, 2012. "Shadow Economies around the World: Model Based Estimates," Working Papers 2012/05, Bogazici University, Department of Economics.
    8. Tedds, Lindsay, 2005. "The Underground Economy in Canada," MPRA Paper 4229, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Gheorghe ZAMAN & Zizi GOSCHIN, 2016. "A New Multidimensional Ranking of Shadow Economy for EU Countries," Romanian Journal of Economics, Institute of National Economy, vol. 43(2(52)), pages 14-33, december.
    10. Schneider Friedrich & Buehn Andreas, 2017. "Shadow Economy: Estimation Methods, Problems, Results and Open questions," Open Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 1(1), pages 1-29, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Owolabi, Adegboyega O. & Berdiev, Aziz N. & Saunoris, James W., 2022. "Is the shadow economy procyclical or countercyclical over the business cycle? International evidence," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 257-270.
    2. Kose, M. Ayhan & Elgin, Ceyhun & Ohnsorge, Franziska & Yu, Shu, 2021. "Understanding Informality," CEPR Discussion Papers 16497, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Aziz N. Berdiev & James W. Saunoris, 2019. "On the Relationship Between Income Inequality and the Shadow Economy," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 45(2), pages 224-249, April.
    4. Ceyhun Elgin & M. ayhan Köse & Franziska Ohnsorge & Shu Yu, 2021. "Understanding Informality Abstract:," Working Papers 2021/03, Bogazici University, Department of Economics.
    5. Chung, Federico & Purkey, Liam & Solis-Garcia, Mario, 2020. "Measuring the size of the shadow economy using a dynamic general equilibrium model with trends: a new dataset," MPRA Paper 98963, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Labib Shami & Teddy Lazebnik, 2024. "Implementing Machine Learning Methods in Estimating the Size of the Non-observed Economy," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 63(4), pages 1459-1476, April.
    7. Piotr Dybka & Bartosz Olesiński & Marek Rozkrut & Andrzej Torój, 2023. "Measuring the model uncertainty of shadow economy estimates," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(4), pages 1069-1106, August.
    8. Aziz N. Berdiev & Brandon Gomes & James W. Saunoris, 2023. "Revisiting the nexus between globalisation and the shadow economy: Untying the influences of de jure versus de facto globalisation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 27-54, January.
    9. Ceyhun Elgin & Friedrich Schneider, 2016. "Shadow Economies in OECD Countries: DGE vs. MIMIC Approaches," Bogazici Journal, Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Bogazici University, Department of Economics, vol. 30(1), pages 51-75.
    10. Jozef Pacolet & Joris Vanormelingen, 2015. "Illicit Financial Flows: concepts and first macro estimates for Belgium and its 18 preferred partner countries," BeFinD Working Papers 0110, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    11. Pasovic Edin & Efendic Adnan S., 2018. "Informal Economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina – An Empirical Investigation," South East European Journal of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 112-125, December.
    12. Colombo, Emilio & Onnis, Luisanna & Tirelli, Patrizio, 2016. "Shadow economies at times of banking crises: Empirics and theory," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 180-190.
    13. Claudio Quintano & Paolo Mazzocchi, 2018. "Behind the GDP: some remarks on the shadow economy in Mediterranean countries," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 147-173, February.
    14. Elgin, Ceyhun & Solis-Garcia, Mario, 2015. "Tax enforcement, technology, and the informal sector," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 97-120.
    15. Robert G. Blanton & Bryan Early & Dursun Peksen, 2018. "Out of the shadows or into the dark? Economic openness, IMF programs, and the growth of shadow economies," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 309-333, June.
    16. Solis-Garcia, Mario & Xie, Yingtong, 2018. "Measuring the size of the shadow economy using a dynamic general equilibrium model with trends," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 258-275.
    17. Elgin, Ceyhun & Uras, Burak R., 2013. "Public debt, sovereign default risk and shadow economy," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 628-640.
    18. Marshall, Emily C. & Saunoris, James & Solis-Garcia, Mario & Do, Trang, 2023. "Measuring the size and dynamics of U.S. state-level shadow economies using a dynamic general equilibrium model with trends," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    19. Gheorghe ZAMAN & Zizi GOSCHIN, 2016. "A New Multidimensional Ranking of Shadow Economy for EU Countries," Romanian Journal of Economics, Institute of National Economy, vol. 43(2(52)), pages 14-33, december.
    20. Liu, Ailan & Wang, Zhixuan & Zhu, Pengcheng, 2021. "Does informal economy undermine the effects of China’s aid on its outward foreign direct investment?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 315-329.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ddj:fseeai:y:2024:i:3:p:188-195. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Gianina Mihai (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fegalro.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.