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The International Comparison Program: Current Status and Problems

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  • Irving B. Kravis
  • Robert E. Lipsey

Abstract

This paper reviews the International Comparison Program (ICP), a worldwide effort to produce international comparisons of real GDP and its components and purchasing power parities of currencies (PPPs). The robustness of results and future work are considered. A generous estimate of margins of uncertainty in the benchmark estimates might be 20-25 per cent for low-income countries and 7 per cent for high-income countries. The errors in extrapolations to countries not covered by the surveys could go as high as 30-35 per cent. That is still a small range of error compared to that stemming from the use of exchange rates to convert own-currency to common currency measures of output. Furthermore, exchange rate conversions are even more sensitive to methodology than PPP conversions. The notion that exchange comparisons rest on a simple and transparent procedure using standard market data is illusory. The future of ICP measures seems assured in Europe, particularly in the European Community. The prospects for systematic worldwide comparisons do not look as bright. A renewed effort by the United Nations Statistical Office and the World Bank would be needed to maintain an ICP with comprehensive coverage and comparable methods in all major regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Irving B. Kravis & Robert E. Lipsey, 1990. "The International Comparison Program: Current Status and Problems," NBER Working Papers 3304, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3304
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    2. Leandro Prados de la Escosura, 2010. "Improving Human Development: A Long‐Run View," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 841-894, December.
    3. Corinne Land & Jaime R. Marquez & Charles P. Thomas, 2012. "International relative price levels: a look under the hood," International Finance Discussion Papers 1055, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. repec:ath:journl:tome:34:v:2:y:2014:i:34:p:13-21 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Stockman, Alan C & Tesar, Linda L, 1995. "Tastes and Technology in a Two-Country Model of the Business Cycle: Explaining International Comovements," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(1), pages 168-185, March.
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    7. Robert E. Lipsey & Birgitta Swedenborg, 1993. "The High Cost of Eating: Agricultural Protection and International Differences in Consumer Food Prices," NBER Working Papers 4555, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Meagher, G. A., 1995. "The International Comparison Project as a source of private consumption data for a global input-output model," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 111-132, March.
    9. Levine, Ross & Renelt, David, 1992. "A Sensitivity Analysis of Cross-Country Growth Regressions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(4), pages 942-963, September.
    10. M. V. Yershov & Anna S. Tanasova & Viktor Yu. Tatuzov, 2018. "The ruble exchange rate: What is the preferable level?," Journal of New Economy, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 19(6), pages 16-32, December.
    11. Ahmad, Sultan, 1992. "Regression estimates of per capital gross domestic product based on purchasing power parities," Policy Research Working Paper Series 956, The World Bank.
    12. Levine, Ross & Renelt, David, 1991. "Cross-country studies of growth and policy : methodological, conceptual, and statistical problems," Policy Research Working Paper Series 608, The World Bank.
    13. Amiri, Hossein & Samadian, Farzaneh & Yahoo, Masoud & Jamali, Seyed Jafar, 2019. "Natural resource abundance, institutional quality and manufacturing development: Evidence from resource-rich countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 550-560.
    14. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro, 2000. "International Comparisons of Real Product, 1820-1990: An Alternative Data Set," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 1-41, January.
    15. Magnus Blomström & Linda S. Goldberg, 2001. "Introduction to "Topics in Empirical International Economics: A Festschrift in Honor of Robert E. Lipsey"," NBER Chapters, in: Topics in Empirical International Economics: A Festschrift in Honor of Robert E. Lipsey, pages 1-14, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Alan Heston & Robert E. Lipsey, 1999. "Introduction to "International and Interarea Comparisons of Income, Output, and Prices"," NBER Chapters, in: International and Interarea Comparisons of Income, Output, and Prices, pages 1-9, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Ferrari, Guido, 2018. "Comparisons of GDP Over Time and Across Space: The State of the Art/Comparaciones del PIB a lo largo del tiempo y en el espacio: El estado del arte," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 36, pages 149-166, Enero.
    18. Peter Hooper & Elizabeth Vranlovich, 1995. "International comparisons of the levels of unit labor costs in manufacturing," International Finance Discussion Papers 527, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    19. Sam Perlo-Freeman & Elisabeth Skons, 2016. "Snakes and ladders: The development and multiple reconstructions of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s military expenditure data," Economics of Peace and Security Journal, EPS Publishing, vol. 11(2), pages 5-13, October.
    20. Sean Fahle & Jaime R. Marquez & Charles P. Thomas, 2008. "Measuring U.S. international relative prices: a WARP view of the world," International Finance Discussion Papers 917, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    21. Milka Kirova & Robert E. Lipsey, 1997. "Does the United States invest \"too little?\"," Working Papers 1997-020, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    22. Ioannis N. Kallianiotis, 2018. "Exchange Rate Expectations," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 8(2), pages 1-5.
    23. Michaël Freudenberg & Deniz Ünal-Kesenci, 1994. "French and German Productivity Levels in Manufacturing: A Comparison Based on the Industry-of-Origin Method," Working Papers 1994-10, CEPII research center.

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