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U.S. household deleveraging: what do the aggregate and household-level data tell us?

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  • Daniel H. Cooper

Abstract

Deleveraging is the process by which households decide that their level of debt is inconsistent with their revised economic outlook and adjust their leverage accordingly, primarily by substituting debt repayment for consumption. Household deleveraging is a commonly cited reason for the sluggish consumption growth experienced during the current economic recovery from the Great Recession. This policy brief analyzes the impact of household debt repayment on consumer spending during and after the Great Recession by using aggregate and household-level data. Overall, the data show little evidence that deleveraging affected household consumption. Rather, movements in consumption prior to, during, and following the Great Recession are consistent with the standard relationships implied by fluctuations in household income and net worth.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel H. Cooper, 2012. "U.S. household deleveraging: what do the aggregate and household-level data tell us?," Public Policy Brief, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedbpb:y:2012:n:12-2
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Adél Bosch & Matthew Clance & Steven F. Koch, 2022. "Household debt and consumption dynamics A non-developed world view following the financial crisis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(8), pages 897-917, February.
    2. Zhang, Dongyang & Guo, Rui, 2020. "The consumption response to household leverage in China: The role of investment at household level," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Bruno Albuquerque & Georgi Krustev, 2018. "Debt Overhang and Deleveraging in the US Household Sector: Gauging the Impact on Consumption," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 64(2), pages 459-481, June.
    4. Kukk, Merike, 2016. "How did household indebtedness hamper consumption during the recession? Evidence from micro data," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 764-786.
    5. Aboohamidi, Abbas & Chidmi, Benaissa, 2015. "Changes in the Wealth of American Households during the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis in the U.S," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205451, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Marco J. Lombardi & Madhusudan Mohanty & Ilhyock Shim, 2022. "The relationship of household debt and growth in the short and long run," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(4), pages 1887-1911, October.
    7. Bhutta, Neil, 2015. "The ins and outs of mortgage debt during the housing boom and bust," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 284-298.
    8. Yvonne McCarthy & Kieran McQuinn, 2017. "Deleveraging in a Highly Indebted Property Market: Who does it and are there Implications for Household Consumption?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63(1), pages 95-117, March.
    9. Daniel H. Cooper, 2013. "Changes in U.S. household balance sheet behavior after the housing bust and Great Recession: evidence from panel data," Public Policy Discussion Paper 13-6, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    10. Neil Bhutta, 2014. "The ins and outs of mortgage debt during the housing boom and bust," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2014-91, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    11. Marco Jacopo Lombardi & Madhusudan Mohanty & Ilhyock Shim, 2017. "The real effects of household debt in the short and long run," BIS Working Papers 607, Bank for International Settlements.
    12. Hulya Dagdeviren & Jiayi Balasuriya & Christopher Nicholas, 2022. "Spatial dynamics of post-crisis deleveraging [Financial geography II: financial geographies of housing and real estate]," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(6), pages 1225-1246.
    13. Daniel H. Cooper & Karen E. Dynan, 2013. "Wealth shocks and macroeconomic dynamics," Public Policy Discussion Paper 13-4, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

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