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Secular Drivers of the Natural Rate of Interest in the United States: A Quantitative Evaluation

Author

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  • Josef Platzer
  • Marcel Peruffo

Abstract

We develop a heterogeneous agent, overlapping generations model with nonhomothetic preferences that nests several explanations for the decline in the natural rate of interest (r∗) suggested in the literature: demographic change, a slowdown in productivity growth, a rise in income inequality, and public policy. The model can account for a 2.2 percentage point (pp) decline in r∗ between 1975 and 2015, which is within the range of empirical estimates. Rising income inequality is an important driver (-0.70 pp), and together with demographic change (-0.71 pp) and the slowdown in productivity growth (-1.0 pp) explains most of the decline. Growing public debt is the major counteracting force (+0.31 pp). Permanent income inequality is of greater importance than inequality due to uninsurable income risk, and matching the degree of nonhomotheticity in consumption and savings behavior to empirical estimates is essential for this result. We predict that r∗ will reach a low of 0.38% by 2030, after which a slow reversal will begin. The natural rate will stabilize at 1% in the long run, a low level when compared with the postwar path of r∗ implied by the model. This remains true even if we take into account soaring public debt levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy can have considerable impact on the level of r∗ through the tax and transfer system.

Suggested Citation

  • Josef Platzer & Marcel Peruffo, 2022. "Secular Drivers of the Natural Rate of Interest in the United States: A Quantitative Evaluation," IMF Working Papers 2022/030, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2022/030
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Anthony Brassil, 2022. "The Consequences of Low Interest Rates for the Australian Banking Sector," RBA Annual Conference Papers acp2022-04, Reserve Bank of Australia, revised Dec 2022.
    2. Sandra Daudignon & Oreste Tristani, 2022. "Monetary policy and the drifting natural rate of interest," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 22/1057, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    3. Markus Knell, 2023. "Housing and the secular decline in real interest rates (Markus Knell)," Working Papers 251, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank).
    4. Xiaoshan Chen & Spyridon Lazarakis & Petros Varthalitis, 2023. "Debt targets and fiscal consolidation in a two-country HANK model for the Euro Area," Working Papers 374162075, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    5. Xiaoshan Chen & Spyridon Lazarakis & Petros Varthalitis, 2023. "Debt targets and fiscal consolidation in a two country HANK model: the case of Euro Area," Working Papers 2023_02, Durham University Business School.

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