Discrepancy between emotions and statistics
The evaluations buying energy are sometimes perceived by households as too optimistic, regardless of the calculation by consumption items.
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, economist of the Common Directorate of the Treasury, in a analysis published on November 15, 2021, quotes figures from the OFCE: between 2018 and 2022, a household of 4 (two dad and mom and two youngsters below 14, i.e. 2.1 UA) will expertise a rise in buying energy of 334 euros per 12 months and by CU, or three,500 euros cumulatively over 5 years. However why is that this achieve not felt extra?
One of many explanations is the dynamics of actual property costs, which weighs on the funds of 20% of the inhabitants (households within the means of residence possession). It’s only taken under consideration in buying energy by way of the hire index (40% of the inhabitants). One other clarification could be the latest will increase within the value of vitality.
Within the case of inflation, when re-labeling in euros, in 2002, it looks as if “the notion of value will increase has been extra acute for small, repeated purchases (bread, counter espresso, fruit and veggies, up) than for infrequent giant purchases (family home equipment, down) “. The official mixture indicators don’t all the time replicate the inflation felt by households.
With a view to reconcile the buying energy figures with the emotions of households, INSEE additionally calculates :
- the buying energy by family class (the disposable revenue of the highest 20% of households is 4 instances larger than that of the underside 20%);
- the buying energy per capita (to higher replicate common particular person conditions);
- the arbitrable buying energy (after deducting pre-committed bills, the share of which has elevated considerably lately);
INSEE presents this discrepancy between statistics and feelings like a “misunderstanding, embodied by a perceived buying energy [qui] feeds largely on the confrontation between a nationwide whole and particular person conditions “. The calculation ofevolution of buying energy is a macroeconomic indicator Regarding all households and is due to this fact not appropriate for particular person conditions.
Criticisms of the tactic
One of many criticisms made by some economists in opposition to INSEE’s buying energy evaluation technique is to underestimate the consequences of inflation and the share of rents within the client value index. In accordance with INSEE, the weight of rents is low in the CPI the truth that this expense is zero for the homeowners. A broader inclusion of housing expenditure would have solely a restricted impression on the measurement of inflation.
Moreover, shopping for a house is taken into account an funding and never as a client expense. It’s due to this fact not taken under consideration within the CPI, though it weighs within the budgets of many households. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for the worth of a house to extend over time.
The worth index, however, relies on a common basket which might keep in mind neither the habits nor the person constraints.
There’s an inherent restrict to the reasoning on common: regardless of the conference chosen, the proportion of households for which the buying energy doesn’t evolve as rapidly because the figures stays excessive. The common family doesn’t exist: some are homeowners, others not, the CPI encompasses these explicit realities with out having the ability to transcribe them precisely.
How you can act on buying energy?
The rise in buying energy is a recurring line within the applications of candidates for elections. However what are the technique of motion of politicians and elected officers?
The federal government has little management over the gross disposable revenue of households. The minimal wage is listed to inflation measured for the 20% of households with the bottom incomes. Its periodic revaluation is carried out on the premise of half of the buying energy achieve of the common hourly wage of employees and staff.
The federal government also can resolve on a “enhance” to the minimal wage; it’s then a political alternative. the latest, 0.6%, July 2012. It introduced a largely mechanical enhance to 2%. The “enhance” represented an hourly enhance of 5 euro cents.
