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Household Debt and Credit: Economic Issues and Data Problems

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  • Giuseppe Bertola
  • Stefan Hochguertel

Abstract

We survey contributions to the analysis of household liabilities, highlighting relevant theoretical aspects and outlining how data sources may support empirical testing and measurement efforts. Specifically, we classify aspects of household debt, discussing the theoretical and policy relevance of heterogeneity across individual and country dimensions. Aiming to illustrate conceptual and measurement issues, we refer to the approaches and results of some recent relevant country‐specific work on administrative and survey data, and we argue that research in this area would greatly benefit from availability of appropriately classified household liabilities data and of cross‐country institutional information.

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  • Giuseppe Bertola & Stefan Hochguertel, 2007. "Household Debt and Credit: Economic Issues and Data Problems," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 36(2), pages 115-146, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecnote:v:36:y:2007:i:2:p:115-146
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0300.2007.00181.x
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    2. Altundere, Merve Büşra, 2014. "The Relationship Between Sociability and Household Debt," MPRA Paper 90617, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Piotr Białowolski, 2019. "Patterns and evolution of consumer debt: evidence from latent transition models," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 389-415, January.
    4. Anna Florio, 2013. "The Implied Consumer Euler Rate: What Role for Financial Frictions?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo, vol. 59(4), pages 650-675, December.
    5. Piotr Bialowolski & Andrzej Cwynar & Dorota Weziak‐Bialowolska, 2024. "Credit purpose and the interest rate – Evidence from the European Household Finance and Consumption Survey," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 162-176, January.
    6. Lim, Sung Soo & Bone, Matthew, 2022. "Optimism, debt accumulation, and business growth," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    7. R. Calcagno & E. Fornero & M. Rossi, 2009. "The Effect of House Prices on Household Consumption in Italy," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 284-300, October.
    8. Piotr Białowolski & Dorota Węziak-Białowolska & Tyler J. VanderWeele, 2019. "The impact of savings and credit on health and health behaviours: an outcome-wide longitudinal approach," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(4), pages 573-584, May.
    9. E. Pastrapa & C. Apostolopoulos, 2015. "Estimating Determinants of Borrowing: Evidence from Greece," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 36(2), pages 210-223, June.
    10. Massimo Coletta & Riccardo De Bonis & Stefano Piermattei, 2014. "The determinants of household debt: a cross-country analysis," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 989, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    11. Salotti, Simone, 2008. "Global imbalances and household savings: the role of wealth," MPRA Paper 17729, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2009.
    12. Massimo Coletta & Riccardo De Bonis & Stefano Piermattei, 2019. "Household Debt in OECD Countries: The Role of Supply-Side and Demand-Side Factors," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(3), pages 1185-1217, June.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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