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Stable price level and changing prices

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  • Antti Suvanto

    (Bank of Finland)

  • Juhana Hukkinen

    (Bank of Finland)

Abstract

The paper investigates the relationship between relative price movements and changes in the aggregate price level using monthly data on Finland’s Consumer Price Index and its components from the period covering the past eight and a half years. This was a period of very low inflation. The rate of growth in the aggregate price level was occasionally very close to zero. The paper shows that declining nominal prices were a rather common phenomenon during this period of low or no inflation. The declining prices cannot, however, be explained by lack of demand or any generalized deflationary tendencies. Hence, the downward rigidity of nominal prices has not prevented relative price adjustments under price stability. The paper develops a new method for looking at the composition of inflation and illustrating how relative price dynamics interact with changes in the aggregate price level. The correlation of relative price variability and aggregate inflation has been negligible, but the correlation between the skewness of price change distribution and aggregate inflation is high. This is in accordance with the predictions of the menu cost models. A significant proportion of the relative price changes appear to have been persistent, suggesting the dominance of productivity and other supply shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Antti Suvanto & Juhana Hukkinen, 2005. "Stable price level and changing prices," Macroeconomics 0508034, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpma:0508034
    Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 35. Bank of Finland Discussion Papers 28/2004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Baumgartner, Josef & Glatzer, Ernst & Rumler, Fabio & Stiglbauer, Alfred, 2005. "How frequently do consumer prices change in Austria? Evidence from micro CPI data," Working Paper Series 523, European Central Bank.
    2. KANGASSALO Pertti & TAKALA Kari, 2010. "Measuring the Usefulness of Consumers’ Inflation Expectations in Finland," EcoMod2003 330700076, EcoMod.
    3. Aucremanne, Luc & Dhyne, Emmanuel, 2004. "How frequently do prices change? Evidence based on the micro data underlying the Belgian CPI," Working Paper Series 331, European Central Bank.
    4. Camba-Méndez, Gonzalo & Garcí­a, Juan Angel & Rodriguez-Palenzuela, Diego, 2003. "Relevant economic issues concerning the optimal rate of inflation," Working Paper Series 278, European Central Bank.
    5. Fabiani, Silvia & Gattulli, Angela & Sabbatini, Roberto, 2004. "The pricing behaviour of Italian firms: new survey evidence on price stickiness," Working Paper Series 333, European Central Bank.
    6. Alsamara, Mouyad Kassm & Mrabet, Zouhair & Elafif, Mohamed & Gangopadhyay, Partha, 2017. "The asymmetric effects of oil price on economic growth in Turkey and Saudi Arabia: new evidence from nonlinear ARDL approach," International Journal of Development and Conflict, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, vol. 7(2), pages 97-118.
    7. Rumler Fabio & Stiglbauer Alfred & Baumgartner Josef, 2011. "Patterns and Determinants of Price Changes: Analysing Individual Consumer Prices in Austria," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 12(3), pages 336-350, August.
    8. Luc Aucremanne & Guy Brys & Peter J Rousseeuw & Anja Struyf & Mia Hubert, 2003. "Inflation, relative prices and nominal rigidities," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Monetary policy in a changing environment, volume 19, pages 81-105, Bank for International Settlements.
    9. Silvia Fabiani & Angela Gattulli & Roberto Sabbatini, 2003. "La rigidità dei prezzi in Italia," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 56(223), pages 325-358.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    price level; inflation; deflation; prices; business cycles;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation

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