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The Historical Importance of Growth and Inflation in Reducing High UK Public Debt Ratios

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  • Brooks, D.
  • Needham, D.

Abstract

This paper employs an extended accounting framework to estimate the role of real GDP growth and inflation in reducing the UK public debt to GDP ratio following the Napoleonic Wars and the two World Wars. Traditional debt accounting methods do not quantify the impact of growth on the budget balance and therefore underestimate the importance of growth. The extended accounting framework captures the impact of growth on the budget balance. Applying the extended approach to the UK shows that growth matters more than previously acknowledged in reducing the historical public debt ratio, especially following the Second World War. Inflation following the Second World War had a sizable but lesser impact on the debt ratio compared to real growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Brooks, D. & Needham, D., 2023. "The Historical Importance of Growth and Inflation in Reducing High UK Public Debt Ratios," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2341, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:2341
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. S M Ali Abbas & Nazim Belhocine & Asmaa El-Ganainy & Mark Horton, 2011. "Historical Patterns and Dynamics of Public Debt—Evidence From a New Database," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 59(4), pages 717-742, November.
    2. Dimitrios Paparas & Christian Richter, 2019. "A synthesis of empirical research on the validity of Wagner's law," International Journal of Business and Globalisation, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 22(4), pages 555-583.
    3. Nicholas Crafts, 2016. "Reducing High Public Debt Ratios: Lessons from UK Experience," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 37, pages 201-223, June.
    4. Thomas Laubach & John C. Williams, 2003. "Measuring the Natural Rate of Interest," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 85(4), pages 1063-1070, November.
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