IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cfi/fseres/cf424.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Understanding Macroeconomic Statistics: An "Ideal-Type" Economy Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Kiyohiko G. Nishimura

    (Professor of Economics, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Emeritus Professor and Distinguished Project Research Fellow, Center for Advanced Research in Finance (CARF) at the University of Tokyo; Chair, Statistics Commission of Japan; Former Deputy Governor, Bank of Japan)

  • Junko Ishikawa

    (Researcher, Nomura Research Institute)

Abstract

GDP statistics have been a focus of debates, especially about whether real (constant-price) GDP figures appropriately represent the economic conditions of the economy. This paper shows that the official nominal (current price) GDP is the nominal value of utility the nation enjoys from the current consumption and future consumption that current investment enables to realize in an ideal-type economy with money, which is an intuitive interpretation. However, in this framework, an appropriate real GDP is not the official constant-price GDP but the utility or value GDP, which is the nominal GDP divided by the Consumer Price Index (most broadly defined).

Suggested Citation

  • Kiyohiko G. Nishimura & Junko Ishikawa, 2017. "Understanding Macroeconomic Statistics: An "Ideal-Type" Economy Approach," CARF F-Series CARF-F-424, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    • Handle: RePEc:cfi:fseres:cf424
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.carf.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp/old/pdf/workingpaper/fseries/F424.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Weitzman, Martin L., 2000. "The linearised Hamiltonian as comprehensive NDP," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 55-68, February.
    2. Nishimura, Kiyohiko G., 1983. "Rational expectations and the theory of aggregate investment," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 11(1-2), pages 101-106.
    3. J. A. Sefton & M. R. Weale, 2006. "The Concept of Income in a General Equilibrium," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 73(1), pages 219-249.
    4. Martin L. Weitzman, 1976. "On the Welfare Significance of National Product in a Dynamic Economy," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 90(1), pages 156-162.
    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. Nicholas Oulton, 2022. "The Productivity-Welfare Linkage: A Decomposition," Discussion Papers 2205, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    2. Figueroa B., Eugenio & Orihuela R., Carlos & Calfucura T., Enrique, 2010. "Green accounting and sustainability of the Peruvian metal mining sector," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 156-167, September.
    3. Nicholas Outlon, 2019. "GDP is a measure of output, not welfare. Or, HOS meets the SNA," Discussion Papers 1906, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    4. Charles R. Hulten & Paul Schreyer, 2010. "GDP, Technical Change, and the Measurement of Net Income: the Weitzman Model Revisited," NBER Working Papers 16010, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Nicholas Oulton, 2021. "The effect of changes in the terms of trade on GDP and welfare: a Divisia approach to the SNA," Discussion Papers 2126, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    6. Azqueta, Diego & Sotelsek, Daniel, 2007. "Valuing nature: From environmental impacts to natural capital," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 22-30, June.
    7. Tsur, Yacov & Zemel, Amos, 2006. "Welfare measurement under threats of environmental catastrophes," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 421-429, July.
    8. Geir B. Asheim & Rintaro Yamaguchi, 2023. "Comprehensive National Accounting for Carbon Emissions," CESifo Working Paper Series 10562, CESifo.
    9. Andrés Gómez-Lobo E., 2001. "Sustainable development and natural resource accounting in a small open economy: a methodological clarification," Estudios de Economia, University of Chile, Department of Economics, vol. 28(2 Year 20), pages 203-216, December.
    10. Partha Dasgupta & Karl-Goran Maler, 1998. "Decentralization Schemes, Cost-Benefit-Analysis, and Net National Product as a Measure of Social Well-Being," STICERD - Development Economics Papers - From 2008 this series has been superseded by Economic Organisation and Public Policy Discussion Papers 12, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    11. Céline Antonin & Thomas Melonio & Xavier Timbeau, 2012. "L'epargne nette ré-ajustée," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(1), pages 259-286.
    12. Andrew Aitken & Martin Weale, 2020. "A Democratic Measure of Household Income Growth: Theory and Application to the United Kingdom," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 87(347), pages 589-610, July.
    13. David Vines & Martin Weale, 2009. "James Meade," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(541), pages 423-429, November.
    14. Aronsson, Thomas & Lofgren, Karl-Gustaf, 1999. "Pollution tax design and 'Green' national accounting," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(8), pages 1457-1474, August.
    15. Bram Edens, 2013. "Depletion: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 54(3), pages 419-441, March.
    16. Asheim, Geir B. & Hartwick, John M. & Mitra, Tapan, 2021. "Investment rules and time invariance under population growth," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    17. McLaughlin, Eoin & Ducoing, Cristián & Hanley, Nick, 2024. "Challenges of wealth-based sustainability metrics: A critical appraisal," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    18. Huhtala, Anni & Toppinen, Anne & Boman, Mattias, 2001. "An Environmental Accountant`s Dilemma: Are Stumpage Prices Reliable Indicators of Resource Scarcity?," Working Papers 77, National Institute of Economic Research.
    19. Asheim, Geir B. & Hartwick, John M., 2011. "Anomalies in green national accounting," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(12), pages 2303-2307.
    20. Hulten, Charles R., 2010. "Growth Accounting," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 987-1031, Elsevier.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:cfi:fseres:cf424. 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: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/catokjp.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.