Sharp changes in consumer expenditure may bias inflation during the Covid-19 pandemic. This column measures the effects of the Covid-induced weighting bias on the Swiss consumer price index by quantifying the changes in consumer spending using public data from debit card transactions, updating CPI basket weights and constructing an alternative ‘Covid price index’. There is evidence that Covid inflation was higher during the lockdown than suggested by CPI inflation. Persistent ‘low-touch’ consumer behaviour may lead to inflation being underestimated through to the end of 2020.
Most Read
-
Funke, Schularick, Trebesch
-
Danielsson
-
Goodhart, Masciandaro, Ugolini
-
Behrens, Kichko, Thisse
-
Pradelski, Oliu-Barton
-
Eichengreen, O'Rourke
-
Burgess, Sievertsen
-
Mitze, Kosfeld, Rode, Wälde
-
Heldring, Robinson
-
Eichengreen
Blogs&Reviews
-
Bouwens
-
Gaspar, Larraín Bascuñán
-
Evenett
-
Arezki, Rota-Graziosi
-
Gual
Vox eBooks
Don't Miss
Arezki, Djankov, Panizza
Bartsch, Bénassy-Quéré, Corsetti, Debrun
Scheuer
Events
-
2 - 2 March 2021 / Online /
-
3 - 3 March 2021 / Online / SUERF and KfW
-
3 - 3 March 2021 / Online /
-
4 - 4 March 2021 / Zoom webinar / World Trade Organization
-
10 - 10 March 2021 / Online /
CEPR Policy Research
-
Gobillon, Solignac
-
Giglio, Maggiori, Stroebel, Weber
-
Summers, Fatás
-
Favero, Galasso
-
Butt, Churm, McMahon, Morotz, Schanz
-
Eichengreen, Avgouleas, Poiares Maduro, Panizza, Portes, Weder di Mauro, Wyplosz, Zettelmeyer
-
Baldwin, Beck, Bénassy-Quéré, Blanchard, Corsetti, De Grauwe, den Haan, Giavazzi, Gros, Kalemli-Ozcan, Micossi, Papaioannou, Pesenti, Pissarides , Tabellini, Weder di Mauro
-
Baldwin, Nakatomi
-
Thimann
-
Goodhart, Perotti