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Household savings in transition economies

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  • Denizer, Cevdet*Wolf, Holger C.*Ying, Yvonne

Abstract

During the transition from central planning to market economies now under way in Eastern Europe, output levels first collapsed by 40 to 50 percent in most countries, then staged a modest recovery in the last two years. Longer-term revival of growth requires a resumption of investment and thus, realistically, of domestic savings. To explore the determinants of household savings rates in transition economies, the authors studies matching household surveys for three Central European economies: Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland. They find that savings rates strongly increase with relative income, suggesting that increasing income inequality may play a role in determining savings rates. Savings rates are significantly higher for households that do not own their homes or that own few of the standard consumer durables-possibly because, with no retail credit or mortgage markets, households must save to purchase houses and durables. The influence of demographic factors broadly matches earlier findings for developing countries. Perhaps surprisingly, variables associated with the household's position in the transition process-including either sector of employment (public or private) or form of employment-do not play a significant role in determining savings rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Denizer, Cevdet*Wolf, Holger C.*Ying, Yvonne, 2000. "Household savings in transition economies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2299, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:2299
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    3. Mechthild Schrooten & Sabine Stephan, 2004. "Does Macroeconomic Policy Affect Private Savings in Europe?: Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Data Model," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 431, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    4. Andrea Butelmann & Francisco Gallego, 2001. "Estimaciones de los determinantes del ahorro coluntario de los hogares en Chile (1988-1997)," Central Banking, Analysis, and Economic Policies Book Series, in: Felipe Morandé & Rodrigo Vergara & Norman Loayza (Series Editor) & Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel (Series Edit (ed.),Análisis Empírico del Ahorro en Chile, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 6, pages 141-190, Central Bank of Chile.
    5. Tara Watson & Sara McLanahan, 2011. "Marriage Meets the Joneses: Relative Income, Identity, and Marital Status," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 46(3), pages 482-517.
    6. Andrea Butelmann & Francisco Gallego, 2001. "Household Saving in Chile (1988 and 1997): Testing the Life Cycle Hypothesis," Latin American Journal of Economics-formerly Cuadernos de Economía, Instituto de Economía. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile., vol. 38(113), pages 3-48.
    7. Gaisina, Sholpan, 2014. "Rural Household Saving Determinants in Kazakhstan," Journal of Rural Cooperation, Hebrew University, Center for Agricultural Economic Research, vol. 42(1), pages 1-21.
    8. Dumitru, Ionut & Mircea, Romulus & Jianu (Dumitru), Ionela, 2011. "Economisirea în România – evoluţii şi factori determinanţi [Savings in Romania - developments and fundamentals]," MPRA Paper 29027, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Sergei Guriev & Barry W. Ickes, 2000. "Microeconomic Aspects of Economic Growth in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, 1950-2000," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 348, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    10. María José Roa García & Diana Mejía (ed.), 2018. "Decisiones financieras de los hogares e inclusión financiera: evidencia para América Latina y el Caribe," Investigación Conjunta-Joint Research, Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos, CEMLA, edition 1, volume 1, number 7sp, December.
    11. Mechthild Schrooten & Sabine Stephan, 2002. "Back on Track?: Savings Puzzles in EU-Accession Countries," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 306, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    12. Mechthild Schrooten & Sabine Stephan, 2003. "Private Savings in Eastern European EU-Accession Countries: Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Data Model," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 372, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    13. Ana María Iregui-Bohórquez & Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & María Teresa Ramírez-Giraldo & Ana María Tribín-Uribe, 2018. "Determinants of Formal and Informal Saving in Colombia," Investigación Conjunta-Joint Research, in: María José Roa García & Diana Mejía (ed.), Financial Decisions of Households and Financial Inclusion: Evidence for Latin America and the Caribbean, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 95-123, Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos, CEMLA.
    14. Ana María Iregui-Bohórquez & Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & María Teresa Ramírez-Giraldo & Ana María Tribín-Uribe, 2018. "Factores determinantes del ahorro formal e informal en Colombia," Investigación Conjunta-Joint Research, in: María José Roa García & Diana Mejía (ed.), Decisiones financieras de los hogares e inclusión financiera: evidencia para América Latina y el Caribe, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 101-131, Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos, CEMLA.
    15. Alessandra Guariglia & Byung‐Yeon Kim, 2003. "Wage arrears uncertainty and precautionary saving in Russia," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 11(3), pages 493-512, September.
    16. Ana María Iregui-Bohórquez & Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & María Teresa Ramírez-Giraldo & Ana María Tribín-Uribe, 2016. "Ahorro de los hogares de ingresos medios y bajos de las zonas urbana y rural en Colombia," Borradores de Economia 960, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.

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