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Price convergence in the European Union – What has changed?

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  • Hałka, Aleksandra
  • Leszczyńska-Paczesna, Agnieszka

Abstract

This paper investigates price convergence in European Union countries using disaggregated price level indices in the period 1999–2016. Our results show that prices of both tradable and nontradable goods had a significantly lower dispersion in 2016 than in 1999. The convergence was faster in the case of countries with price level below the average, which can be interpreted as catching-up. However, further analysis shows that most prices converged only up to 2008. While prices of transport equipment continue to converge across the European Union, several durable consumption categories show price divergence after 2008. We attribute this to the drop in international trade of durable products due to increasing inflation and exchange rates volatility following the global financial crisis. From the monetary policy perspective, the existing price-level gaps, shown in our study, may pose a risk of higher inflation, especially in catching-up economies.

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  • Hałka, Aleksandra & Leszczyńska-Paczesna, Agnieszka, 2019. "Price convergence in the European Union – What has changed?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 226-241.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:79:y:2019:i:c:p:226-241
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2018.11.002
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Price convergence; Price dispersion; Sigma convergence; European countries; Dynamic panel data analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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