Discussion Paper 3 / 2004 Aggregate Behavior and Microdata by Werner Hildenbrand , Alois Kneip

Aggregate behavior and microdata

It is shown how one can effectively use microdata in modelling the change over time in an aggregate (e.g. mean consumption expenditure) of a large and heterogeneous population. The starting point of our aggregation analysis is a specification of explanatory variables on the micro-level. Typically, some of these explanatory variables are observable and others are unobservable. Based on certain h...

Individual versus Aggregate Income Elasticities for Heterogeneous Populations

The paper deals with different concepts of income elasticities of demand for a heterogenous population and the relationship between individual and aggregate elasticities is analyzed. In general, the aggregate elasticity is not equal to the mean of individual elasticities. The difference depends on the heterogeneity of the population and is quantified by a covariance term. Sign and magnitude of ...

Macroelasticity vs. Individual Elasiticities: The Case of Consumption and Income

In this paper we assess the relationship between the aggregate income elasticity of aggregate demand and individual income elasticities of demand. We show that the aggregate elasticity is equal to the mean of individual elasticities plus a covariance term. Consequently, the sign of this covariance term determines whether the aggregate elasticity overestimates or underestimates the mean of indiv...

Aggregate Consumers' Expenditure and Income

Aggregation: Theory *

The aim of the aggregation theory is to link the micro and macroeconomic notions of aggregate demand. One would like such a link to exist for any heterogeneous population, for a large set of all conceivable income assignments, and for a small number of statistics of the income distribution. This cannot be achieved. What can be achieved is critically discussed in Section 2. In Section 3, another...