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Eliciting the Marginal Propensity to Consume in Surveys

Author

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  • Crossley, Thomas
  • Fisher, Paul
  • Levell, Peter
  • Low, Hamish

Abstract

Different methods of eliciting the Marginal Propensity to Consume give very different distributions. Mean MPCs range from below 0.1, indicating life-cycle consumers, to over 0.5, consistent with consumers being hand-to-mouth. We conducted a randomized survey experiment to test if this difference arises because of question wording: we compare using a direct question and a filtered question. Survey wording has large effects on (i) the mean MPC, (2) the extensive margin, and (3) how MPCs vary with payment size, spending horizon, and liquidity. MPCs elicited using a filtered question are much closer to results from using a covariance restriction approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Crossley, Thomas & Fisher, Paul & Levell, Peter & Low, Hamish, 2025. "Eliciting the Marginal Propensity to Consume in Surveys," CEPR Discussion Papers 20440, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:20440
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Fafchamps, Marcel & Shrinivas, Aditya, 2026. "Intertemporal risk pooling in village economies," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. Georgarakos, Dimitris & Jappelli, Tullio & Kenny, Geoff & Pistaferri, Luigi, 2025. "Labor supply response to windfall gains," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    4. Thomas F. Crossley & Peter Levell & Sofía Sierra Vásquez, 2024. "What would you do with £500? (...in your own words)," IFS Working Papers W24/38, Institute for Fiscal Studies.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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