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Costs and Benefits of Dollarization: Evidence from North, Central, and South America

Author

Listed:
  • Karras, Georgios

    (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Abstract

This paper examines the macroeconomic costs and benefits of dollarization. Economic theory suggests that the main benefit is enhanced price stability, while the main cost is higher business-cycle volatility if the dollarizing country’s output is not sufficiently correlated with that of the U.S. Data from 1950-1997 are used to estimate various cost and benefit measures for nineteen North, Central, and South American countries. The paper finds that these cost and benefit factors exhibit substantial variability across the countries considered. Furthermore, they are strongly positively correlated: countries (such as Peru) that have a lot to gain from dollarization, also have a lot to lose from it; while countries (such as Canada) that have little to lose by dollarizing, have also little to gain by it. The empirical results can be also used to compare net benefits for individual countries, showing, for example, that Chile is a better dollarization candidate than Mexico.

Suggested Citation

  • Karras, Georgios, 2002. "Costs and Benefits of Dollarization: Evidence from North, Central, and South America," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 17, pages 502-516.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:integr:0205
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Davide Furceri, 2007. "From Currency Unions to a World Currency: A Possibility?," Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2006 19, Money Macro and Finance Research Group.
    2. Afonso, António & Furceri, Davide, 2008. "EMU enlargement, stabilization costs and insurance mechanisms," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 169-187, March.
    3. Emilio Ocampo, 2023. "Dollarization as an Effective Commitment Device: The Case of Argentina," CEMA Working Papers: Serie Documentos de Trabajo. 848, Universidad del CEMA.
    4. Raheem, Ibrahim Dolapo & Asongu, Simplice A., 2018. "Extending the determinants of dollarization in sub-Saharan Africa: The role of easy access to foreign exchange earnings," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 106-120.
    5. Afonso, António & Furceri, Davide, 2007. "Business cycle synchronization and insurance mechanisms in the EU," Working Paper Series 844, European Central Bank.
    6. Furceri, Davide & Karras, Georgios, 2006. "Are the new EU members ready for the EURO?: A comparison of costs and benefits," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 25-38, January.
    7. José U. Mora Mora & Alberto J. Hurtado Briceño & Sadcidi Zerpa de Hurtado, 2019. "Reactivando el Dinamismo de MERCOSUR Un Enfoque Monetario," Working Papers 45, Faculty of Economics and Management, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali.
    8. Kenneth P. Jameson, 2004. "Dollarization in Ecuador: A Post-Keynesian Analysis," Working Paper Series, Department of Economics, University of Utah 2004_05, University of Utah, Department of Economics.
    9. Karras, Georgios, 2003. "How homogenizing are monetary unions?: Evidence from the U.S. states," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 381-397, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dollarization; Monetary Union; Optimum Currency Area;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission

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