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Macroeconomics Problem Set on Inflation

The document outlines Problem Set 2 for a Macroeconomics course, focusing on inflation and national accounts. It includes various problems related to consumer price indices, GDP calculations, inflation forecasts, and economic indicators. Students are tasked with analyzing data, making calculations, and reflecting on economic concepts based on provided scenarios and figures.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
10 views3 pages

Macroeconomics Problem Set on Inflation

The document outlines Problem Set 2 for a Macroeconomics course, focusing on inflation and national accounts. It includes various problems related to consumer price indices, GDP calculations, inflation forecasts, and economic indicators. Students are tasked with analyzing data, making calculations, and reflecting on economic concepts based on provided scenarios and figures.

Uploaded by

czhennuc
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Problem Set 2

Macroeconomics I.
Profs. Luis Puch and Ricardo Pérez Valls
Bachellor in Economics.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
March 6, 2024

Part 1. Inflation
Problem 1. EUROSTAT prepares a press release each month summarizing the data obtained for the varia-
tion in the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) of the previous month. To obtain the last complete
available (March 2024):

1. Go to: [Link]
2. Look for the Euro Indicators and News Release
Next, regarding the last published month, answer the following questions:

1. What was the annual variation of the general HICP in February 2024 for the euro area? Did it (the
variation) increase or decrease compared to the previous month?
2. What was the annual variation of the general HICP in January 2024 for the European Union? Did it
increase or decrease compared to the previous month?
3. What is the (expected) monthly variation of the HICP in February 2024 for the euro area? Did it
increase or decrease compared to the previous month?
4. What was the inflation rate for olive oil in January 2024 in your home country? Was it higher or lower
than the EU average (50%).

Problem 2. The company you work at wants to make some inflation forecasts in order to plan production
ahead. You are requested to provide an estimate ”as much conservative as possible”. Which index would
you use, and why?

Problem 3. Most collective bargaining agreements establish that wages must increase in accordance with
CPI. In your opinion, should other price indices be considered? Why/Why not?

Problem 4. 1. Consider the following figure depicting GDP and CPI in the United States over the past
75 years.

1
Briefly reflect on the coherence of both series. When are they most correlated?
2. Discuss whether the following economic indicators are procyclical or countercyclical?
Are they leading or lagging the cycle?:
(a) Motorcycle sales
(b) Hotel reservations on the Spanish coast
(c) Suspensions of payments and bankruptcy declarations
(d) Affiliated with Social Security
(e) Collection of indirect taxes
(f) Public expenditure on unemployment benefit
(g) Companies that cease their activity
(h) Index of orders in the industry
(i) Public deficit
(j) Imports of automobiles

Problem 5. In some economy, two consumption goods X and Y, and an investment good Z, are produced.
Only information on goods X and Y is used to construct the basket needed to compute the CPI. According
to the following information:

2022 2023
PRICE QUANTITY PRICE QUANTITY
GOOD X 3 50 4 35
GOOD Y 6 65 8 40
GOOD Z 25 55 100 95

1. Compute GDP growth at current prices and at constant prices of both 2022 and 2023. What are the
two measures of real GDP that you have obtained? What is “real growth” instead?

2. Compute “real growth,” in the way discussed in class, and therefore real GDP in 2023. Then compute
the corresponding GDP Deflator and the inflation rate measured from the GDP Deflator.
3. Relate the measure of inflation obtained in Question 2 above with the measures of inflation implied by
your calculations in Question 1 above.

2
4. Compute the CPI each year and inflation measured from the CPI. Compute also the Consumption
Deflator and the corresponding inflation measure. Relate both measures with nominal and real growth
in consumption.

Part 2. National Accounts


Problem 6. The economy of a fictitious country provided the following figures in a year:
Production 1,500
Intermediate Consumption 600
Investment 350
Imports 100
Exports 150
1. Using the good and services account, calculate Final Consumption of this economy
(Recall: Resources= Uses)
2. If the gross capital formation was 400, what was the change in inventory? What does it mean that it
has a positive/negative sign?

Problem 7. Assuming taxes and transfers away, these were the macromagnitudes of the Spanish economy
in 2021 (source: INE, units: billion euros)

Final Consumption 937


Added Value of Services 814
Wages 585
Gross Production Surplus 496
Gross Capital Formation 252
Added Value of Industry 185
Net taxes on production and imports 126
Net taxes on products 115
Added Value of Construction 61
Added Value of Agriculture 32
Net Exports 18

1. Calculate GDP via the Supply, Income, and Demand approaches (Note: net taxes on products are
used for supply approach whereas net taxes on production are used for income approach)
2. For the last decade, Spain has incurred in trade surpluses (positive net exports), likewise China or
South Africa. Other countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom have consistently run
trade deficits. What has your country done? Briefly elaborate on these discrepancies.

Common questions

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A positive change in inventory indicates that production exceeded sales, suggesting either stockpiling for anticipated future demand or decreased current demand. In national accounts, it contributes positively to GDP as an addition to investment, reflecting resources that are still within the economy and available for future transactions .

Other price indices like the Producer Price Index (PPI) or core inflation measures could be considered if they better reflect the specific economic conditions affecting consumer purchasing power and production costs in the relevant industry. Using multiple indices can prevent wage adjustments from disproportionately affecting businesses and consumer purchasing power .

The supply approach sums the value added in industries, adjusted for net taxes on products. The income approach aggregates wages, gross production surplus, and net taxes on production. The demand approach adds final consumption, gross capital formation, and net exports to estimate total economic output. Each approach should theoretically yield the same GDP figure, reflecting different perspectives of economic activity .

The GDP Deflator measures price level changes across all domestically produced goods and services, unlike the CPI, which focuses on consumer goods and services. Variations between these indices can occur due to the inclusion of exports in the GDP Deflator and differences in basket composition. Hence, GDP Deflator might show different inflation trends compared to CPI when significant shifts in trade balance or production occur .

Motorcycle sales are typically procyclical, as they tend to increase when the economy is growing and consumer confidence is high. They are often considered a leading indicator, as they reflect consumer spending intentions ahead of formal economic reports .

GDP growth at current prices (nominal GDP) is calculated based on the value of goods and services using current year prices, whereas GDP at constant prices (real GDP) uses a base year to remove inflation effects. From the given data: for 2023, the value of goods X and Y using 2022 prices gives real GDP, while using 2023 prices gives nominal GDP. The percentage change between years provides the growth rate for each measure .

Spain's recent history of trade surpluses positions it similarly to China, suggesting export-oriented growth strategies, contrasting with the United States, which has persistent trade deficits due to high import consumption and different economic structures. These discrepancies arise from variations in industrial capacities, consumer demand profiles, and economic policies affecting trade dynamics .

The coherence between GDP and CPI reflects periods where economic growth (GDP) and inflation (CPI) trends align. Historically, these indicators are most correlated during times of stable economic growth when inflation expectations are well-anchored and economic policy is effectively balancing growth and price stability. Periodic misalignments can occur during economic shocks or transitions in policy regimes .

For conservative inflation forecasts, a price index like the core inflation index, which excludes volatile items such as food and energy, would be ideal. This index typically presents stability, offering a clearer long-term inflation trend useful for conservative forecasts .

The annual variation of the general HICP in February 2024 for the euro area needs to be compared with that of the previous month to determine whether it increased or decreased. This requires analyzing data published by EUROSTAT in their monthly press release .

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