Heterogeneity in Euro Area Consumers’ Inflation Expectations: Some Stylized Facts and Implications

Ernest Gnan (), Johannes Langthaler () and Maria Valderrama ()
Additional contact information
Ernest Gnan: Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Economic Analysis Division, http://www.oenb.at
Johannes Langthaler: Statistics Austria

Monetary Policy & the Economy, 2011, issue 2, 43–66

Abstract: Aggregate measures of inflation expectations mask heterogeneity among consumers. According to the theoretical and empirical literature, expectations may differ due to different information sets and “models” used by individuals. European Commission Consumer Survey data confirm considerable heterogeneity in inflation expectations over time, across countries and across demographic groups. Consistent with findings according to which financial literacy is an important determinant of inflation expectations heterogeneity, our econometric estimates show that education and income seem to play a more important role than age and gender. However, their effect on heterogeneity is nonlinear. We also find evidence of strong country-specific idiosyncrasies in the formation of inflation expectations. Overall, while showing some common tendencies, inflation expectations in the euro area continue to vary across countries and demographic groups as regards their level, driving factors and evolution over time. Employing “targeted” or “multi-tiered” communication strategies for different demographic groups and within the various euro area countries might indeed help “focus,” or “anchor,” inflation expectations around a level in line with the Eurosystem’s definition of price stability.

Keywords: inflation expectations; heterogeneity; communication policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 E31 E52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.oenb.at/dam/jcr:39710ad5-c09d-41d5-a7e ... nan_tcm16-235936.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:onb:oenbmp:y:2011:i:2:b:3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Documentation Management and Communications Services, Otto-Wagner Platz 3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

Access Statistics for this article

Monetary Policy & the Economy is currently edited by Gerhard Fenz and Maria Teresa Valderrama

More articles in Monetary Policy & the Economy from Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank) P.O. Box 61, A-1011 Vienna, Austria. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Rita Glaser-Schwarz ().