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Price Convergence in Europe from a Macro Perspective: Product Categories and Reliability

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Author Info
Riemer P. Faber
Ad C.J. Stokman

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Abstract

In an earlier study of ours, we provided evidence of consumer price level convergence in Europe, particularly in the 1960s and the 1990s (Faber and Stokman, 2004). The analysis was based on transformations of country HICP indices into absolute price levels, by combining time series HICP data back to 1960 with nominal figures of HICP for one particular benchmark year (1999). In this paper, we demonstrate that this simple procedure delivers reliable estimates of absolute price levels both for short and longer time spans. We adopt this methodology to analyse price dispersion at the onedigit level of HICP in the former EU-15 member states (1980-2003). We find strong price level convergence for most of the product groups in the early 1990s. However, price dispersion levels for tradable products are still much smaller than for non-tradable products. Compared to the US, the dispersion level of consumer prices has always been higher in the euro area, but EMU is narrowing the gap. Price dispersion within the smaller DM-zone is below American levels.

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Paper provided by Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department in its series DNB Working Papers with number 034.

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Date of creation: Apr 2005
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Handle: RePEc:dnb:dnbwpp:034

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Related research
Keywords: Economic integration; Price level convergence; HICP product groups; EMU;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General
F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
F40 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - General

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Engel, Charles & Rogers, John H., 2001. "Deviations from purchasing power parity: causes and welfare costs," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 29-57, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Matthias Lutz, 2004. "Pricing in Segmented Markets, Arbitrage Barriers, and the Law of One Price: Evidence from the European Car Market," Review of International Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 12(3), pages 456-475, 08. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Matthias Lutz, 2003. "Price Convergence under EMU? First Estimates," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2003 2003-08, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Philipp Maier, 2004. "EMU enlargement, inflation and adjustment of tradable goods prices: What to expect?," DNB Working Papers 010, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department. [Downloadable!]
  5. John H. Rogers, 2001. "Price level convergence, relative prices, and inflation in Europe," International Finance Discussion Papers 699, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  6. Goldberg, Pinelopi Koujianou & Verboven, Frank, 2001. "The Evolution of Price Dispersion in the European Car Market," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 68(4), pages 811-48, October.
    Other versions:
  7. Mario J. Crucini & Chris I. Telmer & Marios Zachariadis, 2005. "Understanding European Real Exchange Rates," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(3), pages 724-738, June. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Chen, L. L. & Devereux, J., 2003. "What can US city price data tell us about purchasing power parity?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 213-222, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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    Other versions:
  10. Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg & Frank Verboven, 2004. "Cross-country price dispersion in the euro era: a case study of the European car market," Economic Policy, CEPR, CES, MSH, vol. 19(40), pages 483-521, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Stephen G. Cecchetti & Nelson C. Mark & Robert J. Sonora, 2002. "Price Index Convergence Among United States Cities," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 43(4), pages 1081-1099, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. John H. Rogers & Gary Clyde Hufbauer & Erika Wada, 2001. "Price Level Convergence and Inflation in Europe," Peterson Institute Working Paper Series WP01-1, Peterson Institute for International Economics. [Downloadable!]
  13. John H. Rogers, 2002. "Monetary union, price level convergence, and inflation: how close is Europe to the United States?," International Finance Discussion Papers 740, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Fischer, Christoph, 2007. "An assessment of the trends in international price competitiveness among EMU countries," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 2007,08, Deutsche Bundesbank, Research Centre. [Downloadable!]
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