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Consumption and wealth: new evidence from Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Riccardo De Bonis

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Danilo Liberati

    (Bank of Italy)

  • John Muellbauer

    (University of Oxford)

  • Concetta Rondinelli

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

This paper estimates a consumption function for Italy. In addition to permanent income, housing wealth, the interest rate on household loans and an index of credit conditions, our model introduces household net worth split into liquid and illiquid assets. The consumption dynamics are examined by using financial accounts and real national accounts in a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), estimated from 1975 to 2017. The results show that the marginal propensity to consume out of liquid financial assets – mainly deposits and bonds – is positive and statistically significant, and greater than that for illiquid assets (mainly unquoted shares and insurance and pension assets); we also find that housing wealth has a smaller and significant impact on consumption. As expected, permanent income accounts for a large fraction of consumption, while the effect of the interest rate is negative.

Suggested Citation

  • Riccardo De Bonis & Danilo Liberati & John Muellbauer & Concetta Rondinelli, 2020. "Consumption and wealth: new evidence from Italy," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1304, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_1304_20
    as

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    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/temi-discussione/2020/2020-1304/en_tema_1304.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Michele Loberto & Matteo Spuri, 2023. "The impact of flood risk on real estate wealth in Italy," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 768, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    liquid and illiquid assets; permanent income; credit conditions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers

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