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The welfare cost of inflation

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  • Serletis, Apostolos
  • Xu, Libo

Abstract

This paper uses neoclassical demand theory and applied consumption analysis to calculate the welfare cost of inflation, in the context of the Bailey (1956) approach. We integrate the demand for money with the demands for consumption and leisure, estimate flexible demand functions in a systems context, and show that raising the inflation rate from 2% to 4% in the United States, would impose (on average) a welfare cost equivalent to a loss of 0.30 percent of output when money is measured by our preferred (broad) Divisia M4 monetary aggregate. We also show that the welfare cost of inflation is countercyclical and trends upward over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Serletis, Apostolos & Xu, Libo, 2021. "The welfare cost of inflation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:dyncon:v:128:y:2021:i:c:s0165188921000798
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2021.104144
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    Cited by:

    1. Kent Kimbrough & Ioannis Spyridopoulos, 2012. "The Welfare Cost of Inflation in Greece," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 10(1), pages 41-52.
    2. Azad, Nahiyan Faisal & Serletis, Apostolos & Xu, Libo, 2021. "Covid-19 and monetary–fiscal policy interactions in Canada," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 376-384.
    3. Irfan Ahmad Shah & Manmohan Lal Agarwal & Srikanta Kundu, 2019. "Welfare Cost of Inflation: Evidence from India," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 17(4), pages 781-799, December.
    4. Serletis, Apostolos & Xu, Libo, 2023. "Consumer preferences, the demand for Divisia money, and the welfare costs of inflation," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    5. John Ashworth & David Barlow & Lynne Evans, 2014. "Sectoral Money Demand Behaviour and the Welfare Cost of Inflation in the UK," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 82(6), pages 732-750, December.
    6. Zhao, Liuyan & Li, Lianfa, 2015. "Interest rate, money demand and seigniorage: The Chinese hyperinflation 1946–1949," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 169-179.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Flexible functional forms; Normalized quadratic demand system; Divisia monetary aggregates;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • 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
    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money
    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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