Mette Christensen () (Institute for Fiscal Studies and University of Manchester)
Abstract
All micro studies of demand are based on using time series cross sectional data. Because in such data each household is only observed once, it is only under strong identifying restrictions that one can interpret the coefficients on consumer behavior. For example, if tastes are correlated with income, the usual estimates of income elasticities from cross sectional data are biased. In contrast, panel data allows identification of the coefficients on consumer behavior in the presence of unobservable correlated heterogeneity. In this paper we make use of a unique Spanish panel data set on household expenditures to test whether unobservable heterogeneity in household demands (taste) is correlated with total expenditures (income). We find that tastes are indeed correlated with income for half of the goods considered.
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Paper provided by Institute for Fiscal Studies in its series IFS Working Papers with number
W07/16.
Length: Date of creation: Sep 2007 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:07/16
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Find related papers by JEL classification: C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
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