IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ssb/dispap/451.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The substitution bias of the consumer price index

Author

Listed:

Abstract

The paper uses elementary consumer theory to propose an inflation independent ratio definition of the substitution bias of the Laspeyres consumer price index, and derives an approximate substitution bias which depends on the size of the price change as measured by a norm in the Laspeyres plane and on the elasticity of substitution in the direction of the price change. This norm or distance measure can be interpreted as a price substitution index which yields useful information about the movements of relative prices. Norwegian CPI data are used to quantify these relationships.

Suggested Citation

  • Petter Frenger, 2006. "The substitution bias of the consumer price index," Discussion Papers 451, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssb:dispap:451
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.ssb.no/a/publikasjoner/pdf/DP/dp451.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tran Van Hoa, 1969. "Additive Preferences and Cost of Living Indexes: An Empirical Study of the Australian Consumer's Welfare," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 45(3), pages 432-440, September.
    2. Frenger, Petter, 1978. "Factor Substitution in the Interindustry Model and the Use of Inconsistent Aggregation," Histoy of Economic Thought Chapters, in: Fuss, Melvyn & McFadden, Daniel (ed.),Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications, volume 2, chapter 10, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought.
    3. Deaton,Angus & Muellbauer,John, 1980. "Economics and Consumer Behavior," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521296762, January.
    4. Braithwait, Steven D, 1980. "The Substitution Bias of the Laspeyres Price Index: An Analysis Using Estimated Cost-of-Living Indexes," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(1), pages 64-77, March.
    5. Fuss, Melvyn & McFadden, Daniel (ed.), 1978. "Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications," Elsevier Monographs, Elsevier, edition 1, number 9780444850133.
    6. Lloyd, P J, 1975. "Substitution Effects and Biases in Nontrue Price Indices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 65(3), pages 301-313, June.
    7. Daniel McFadden, 1963. "Constant Elasticity of Substitution Production Functions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 30(2), pages 73-83.
    8. W. Erwin Diewert, 1998. "Index Number Issues in the Consumer Price Index," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(1), pages 47-58, Winter.
    9. John Paulus, 1974. "Note on: \"The upward bias in the consumer price index due to substitution\"," Special Studies Papers 45, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    10. repec:bla:ecorec:v:45:y:1969:i:111:p:432-40 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Matthew D. Shapiro & David W. Wilcox, 1997. "Alternative strategies for aggregating prices in the CPI," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, issue May, pages 113-125.
    12. Goldberger, Arthur S. & Gamaletsos, Theodore, 1970. "A cross-country comparison of consumer expenditure patterns," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 357-400.
    13. J. R. Hicks, 1963. "The Theory of Wages," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-00189-7.
    14. Diewert, W. E., 1976. "Exact and superlative index numbers," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 115-145, May.
    15. E. T. McPHEE., 1928. "Notes," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 4(1), pages 92-95, May.
    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. Marshall Reinsdorf & Jack E. Triplett, 2009. "A Review of Reviews: Ninety Years of Professional Thinking About the Consumer Price Index," NBER Chapters, in: Price Index Concepts and Measurement, pages 17-83, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Jack E. Triplett, 1983. "Introduction: An Essay on Labor Cost," NBER Chapters, in: The Measurement of Labor Cost, pages 1-60, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. R. A. Somerville, 2004. "Changes in Relative Consumer Prices and the Substitution Bias of the Laspeyres Price Index - Ireland, 1985-2001," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 35(1), pages 55-82.
    4. Robert J. Gordon, 2000. "The Boskin Commission Report and its Aftermath," NBER Working Papers 7759, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Lieu, Pang-Tien & Liang, Jung-Hui & Chen, Jui-Hui, 2008. "Consumer preferences and cost of living in Taiwan," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 224-235, June.
    6. Hoffmann, Johannes, 1998. "Problems of inflation measurement in Germany," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 1998,01e, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    7. Jerry Hausman, 2002. "Sources of Bias and Solutions to Bias in the CPI," NBER Working Papers 9298, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Gordon, Robert-J, 1999. "The Boskin Commission Report and Its Aftermath," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 17(3), pages 41-68, December.
    9. Redding, Stephen & Weinstein, David, 2016. "A Unified Approach to Estimating Demand and Welfare," CEPR Discussion Papers 11421, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Stephen J Redding & David E Weinstein, 2020. "Measuring Aggregate Price Indices with Taste Shocks: Theory and Evidence for CES Preferences," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(1), pages 503-560.
    11. Robert Dixon, 2010. "The Elasticity of Substitution," Chapters, in: Mark Blaug & Peter Lloyd (ed.), Famous Figures and Diagrams in Economics, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Han, Han Soo, 1990. "The theoretical input-output system with flexible technological coefficients based on the two-stage level CES-type production function," ISU General Staff Papers 1990010108000010500, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    13. Bart Hobijn, 2002. "On both sides of the quality bias in price indexes," Staff Reports 157, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    14. Chris Papageorgiou & Kaz Miyagiwa, 2003. "The Elasticity of Substitution, Hicks' Conjectures, and Economic Growth," Departmental Working Papers 2003-08, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University.
    15. Jerry Hausman, 2003. "Sources of Bias and Solutions to Bias in the Consumer Price Index," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(1), pages 23-44, Winter.
    16. Sandhu, Gurmit S. & Phillips, W.E. & Percy, Mike, 1992. "Economic Structural Analysis of the Canadian Agricultural Production Sector," Staff Paper Series 232540, University of Alberta, Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology.
    17. Paul, Saumik, 2019. "A Decline in Labor's Share with Capital Accumulation and Complementary Factor Inputs: An Application of the Morishima Elasticity of Substitution," IZA Discussion Papers 12219, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Managi, Shunsuke & Opaluch, James J. & Jin, Di & Grigalunas, Thomas A., 2006. "Stochastic frontier analysis of total factor productivity in the offshore oil and gas industry," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 204-215, November.
    19. Michael J. Boskin, 1998. "Consumer Prices, the Consumer Price Index, and the Cost of Living," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(1), pages 3-26, Winter.
    20. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/1cpd872l2j8lb968d53pu5f30q is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Deb Kusum Das, 2003. "Manufacturing productivity under varying trade regmies: India in the 1980s and 1990s," Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi Working Papers 107, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi, India.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    consumer price index (CPI); substitution bias; elasticity of substitution.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis

    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:ssb:dispap:451. 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: L Maasø (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ssbgvno.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.