IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fip/fedpwp/100040.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

A Gibbs Sampler for Efficient Bayesian Inference in Sign-Identified SVARs

Author

Listed:

Abstract

We develop a new algorithm for inference based on structural vector autoregressions (SVARs) identified with sign restrictions. The key insight of our algorithm is to break from the accept-reject tradition associated with sign-identified SVARs. We show that embedding an elliptical slice sampling within a Gibbs sampler approach can deliver dramatic gains in speed and turn previously infeasible applications into feasible ones. We provide a tractable example to illustrate the power of the elliptical slice sampling applied to sign-identified SVARs. We demonstrate the usefulness of our algorithm by applying it to a well-known small SVAR model of the oil market featuring a tight identified set, as well as to a large SVAR model with more than 100 sign restrictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas E. Arias & Juan F. Rubio-Ramirez & Minchul Shin, 2025. "A Gibbs Sampler for Efficient Bayesian Inference in Sign-Identified SVARs," Working Papers 25-19, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedpwp:100040
    DOI: 10.21799/frbp.wp.2025.19
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.philadelphiafed.org/-/media/FRBP/Assets/working-papers/2025/wp25-19.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.21799/frbp.wp.2025.19?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Uhlig, Harald, 2005. "What are the effects of monetary policy on output? Results from an agnostic identification procedure," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 381-419, March.
    2. Jonas E. Arias & Juan F. Rubio‐Ramírez & Daniel F. Waggoner, 2025. "Uniform Priors for Impulse Responses," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 93(2), pages 695-718, March.
    3. Juan F. Rubio-Ramírez & Daniel F. Waggoner & Tao Zha, 2010. "Structural Vector Autoregressions: Theory of Identification and Algorithms for Inference," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 77(2), pages 665-696.
    4. Joshua Chan & Christian Matthes & Xuewen Yu, 2025. "Large Structural VARs with Multiple Sign and Ranking Restrictions," Papers 2503.20668, arXiv.org.
    5. Joshua C. C. Chan, 2022. "Asymmetric conjugate priors for large Bayesian VARs," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(3), pages 1145-1169, July.
    6. Raffaella Giacomini & Toru Kitagawa, 2021. "Robust Bayesian Inference for Set‐Identified Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(4), pages 1519-1556, July.
    7. Pooyan Amir-Ahmadi & Christian Matthes & Mu-Chun Wang, 2020. "Choosing Prior Hyperparameters: With Applications to Time-Varying Parameter Models," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(1), pages 124-136, January.
    8. Gary M. Koop, 2013. "Forecasting with Medium and Large Bayesian VARS," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 177-203, March.
    9. repec:ulb:ulbeco:2013/13388 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Canova, Fabio & Nicolo, Gianni De, 2002. "Monetary disturbances matter for business fluctuations in the G-7," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(6), pages 1131-1159, September.
    11. Domenico Giannone & Michele Lenza & Giorgio E. Primiceri, 2015. "Prior Selection for Vector Autoregressions," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(2), pages 436-451, May.
    12. Marta Banbura & Domenico Giannone & Lucrezia Reichlin, 2010. "Large Bayesian vector auto regressions," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(1), pages 71-92.
    13. Caldara, Dario & Cavallo, Michele & Iacoviello, Matteo, 2019. "Oil price elasticities and oil price fluctuations," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 1-20.
    14. Edward Herbst & Frank Schorfheide, 2014. "Sequential Monte Carlo Sampling For Dsge Models," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(7), pages 1073-1098, November.
    15. Lutz Kilian & Daniel P. Murphy, 2014. "The Role Of Inventories And Speculative Trading In The Global Market For Crude Oil," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 454-478, April.
    16. Andrea Carriero & George Kapetanios & Massimiliano Marcellino, 2011. "Forecasting large datasets with Bayesian reduced rank multivariate models," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(5), pages 735-761, August.
    17. Eleonora Granziera & Hyungsik Roger Moon & Frank Schorfheide, 2018. "Inference for VARs identified with sign restrictions," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 9(3), pages 1087-1121, November.
    18. Marta Banbura & Domenico Giannone & Lucrezia Reichlin, 2010. "Large Bayesian vector auto regressions," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(1), pages 71-92.
    19. Lutz Kilian & Daniel P. Murphy, 2012. "Why Agnostic Sign Restrictions Are Not Enough: Understanding The Dynamics Of Oil Market Var Models," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 10(5), pages 1166-1188, October.
    20. Jonas E. Arias & Juan F. Rubio‐Ramírez & Daniel F. Waggoner, 2018. "Inference Based on Structural Vector Autoregressions Identified With Sign and Zero Restrictions: Theory and Applications," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 86(2), pages 685-720, March.
    21. Pooyan Amir‐Ahmadi & Thorsten Drautzburg, 2021. "Identification and inference with ranking restrictions," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 12(1), pages 1-39, January.
    22. Dootika Vats & James M Flegal & Galin L Jones, 2019. "Multivariate output analysis for Markov chain Monte Carlo," Biometrika, Biometrika Trust, vol. 106(2), pages 321-337.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jonas E. Arias & Juan F. Rubio-Ram'irez & Minchul Shin, 2025. "A Gibbs Sampler for Efficient Bayesian Inference in Sign-Identified SVARs," Papers 2505.23542, arXiv.org, revised May 2025.
    2. Joshua Chan & Christian Matthes & Xuewen Yu, 2025. "Large Structural VARs with Multiple Sign and Ranking Restrictions," Papers 2503.20668, arXiv.org.
    3. Lukas Berend & Jan Pruser, 2025. "Large structural VARs with multiple linear shock and impact inequality restrictions," Papers 2505.19244, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2025.
    4. Xiwen Bai & Jesús Fernández-Villaverde & Yiliang Li & Francesco Zanetti, 2024. "The Causal Effects of Global Supply Chain Disruptions on Macroeconomic Outcomes: Evidence and Theory," Economics Series Working Papers 1033, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    5. Dominik Bertsche, 2019. "The effects of oil supply shocks on the macroeconomy: a Proxy-FAVAR approachThe effects of oil supply shocks on the macroeconomy: a Proxy-FAVAR approach," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2019-06, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    6. Lutz Kilian, 2013. "Structural vector autoregressions," Chapters, in: Nigar Hashimzade & Michael A. Thornton (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Empirical Macroeconomics, chapter 22, pages 515-554, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Bańbura, Marta & Bobeica, Elena & Martínez Hernández, Catalina, 2023. "What drives core inflation? The role of supply shocks," Working Paper Series 2875, European Central Bank.
    8. Matthew Read, 2022. "Algorithms for inference in SVARs identified with sign and zero restrictions [Identification and inference with ranking restrictions]," The Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 25(3), pages 699-718.
    9. van der Zwan, Terri & Kole, Erik & van der Wel, Michel, 2024. "Heterogeneous macro and financial effects of ECB asset purchase programs," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    10. Matthew Read, 2022. "The Unit-effect Normalisation in Set-identified Structural Vector Autoregressions," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2022-04, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    11. Magnus Reif, 2020. "Macroeconomics, Nonlinearities, and the Business Cycle," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 87, April.
    12. Carriero, Andrea & Marcellino, Massimiliano & Tornese, Tommaso, 2024. "Blended identification in structural VARs," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    13. David S. Jacks & Martin Stuermer, 2021. "Dry bulk shipping and the evolution of maritime transport costs, 1850–2020," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(2), pages 204-227, July.
    14. Jochen Güntner & Magnus Reif & Maik Wolters, 2024. "Sudden stop: Supply and demand shocks in the German natural gas market," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(7), pages 1282-1300, November.
    15. Robin Braun & Ralf Brüggemann, 2017. "Identification of SVAR Models by Combining Sign Restrictions With External Instruments," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2017-07, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    16. Atsushi Inoue & Lutz Kilian, 2020. "The Role of the Prior in Estimating VAR Models with Sign Restrictions," Working Papers 2030, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    17. Kilian, Lutz, 2022. "Facts and fiction in oil market modeling," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    18. Inoue, Atsushi & Kilian, Lutz, 2022. "Joint Bayesian inference about impulse responses in VAR models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 231(2), pages 457-476.
    19. Lukas Boer & Andrea Pescatori & Martin Stuermer, 2021. "Energy Transition Metals," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1976, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    20. Inoue, Atsushi & Kilian, Lutz, 2013. "Inference on impulse response functions in structural VAR models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 177(1), pages 1-13.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fip:fedpwp:100040. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Beth Paul (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/frbphus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.