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Inflation Perceptions and Monetary Policy

Author

Listed:
  • Volker Hahn

    (University of Konstanz)

  • Michal Marencak

    (National Bank of Slovakia)

Abstract

Consumers’ perceptions of current inflation rates depend disproportionately strongly on changes in food prices. We construct a new Keynesian model with bounded rationality that is compatible with this finding. We calibrate the model to the UK and show that, in combination with heterogeneity in sectoral price stickiness, bounded rationality leads to larger real effects of monetary-policy shocks. Moreover, price misperceptions make consumers overestimate the magnitude of aggregate real fluctuations. Consumer welfare is maximized by a central bank that takes core inflation and food prices into account in its monetary-policy making.

Suggested Citation

  • Volker Hahn & Michal Marencak, 2025. "Inflation Perceptions and Monetary Policy," Working and Discussion Papers WP 4/2025, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    • Handle: RePEc:svk:wpaper:1119
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ahn, Hie Joo & Xie, Shihan & Yang, Choongryul, 2024. "Effects of monetary policy on household expectations: The role of homeownership," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
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    6. Abildgren, Kim & Kuchler, Andreas, 2021. "Revisiting the inflation perception conundrum," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    7. Aoki, Kosuke, 2001. "Optimal monetary policy responses to relative-price changes," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 55-80, August.
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    9. Klaus Adam & Henning Weber, 2023. "Estimating the Optimal Inflation Target from Trends in Relative Prices," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 1-42, July.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • E70 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General

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