The Bureau for Economic Research's inflation expectations surveys: Know your data

Stellenbosch Working Paper Series No. WP10/2021
 
Publication date: December 2021
 
Author(s):
[protected email address] (Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
[protected email address] (Wilfrid Laurier University, Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, Canada, and Research Fellow, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa)
 
Abstract:

Inflation expectations are today keenly monitored by both the private sector and policy makers. Expectations matter, but whose expectations matter and how should this unobservable be measured? Answering these questions involves a number of choices that should be transparent and explicit. In this research note, we focus on these choices with respect to the South African inflation expectations data collected by the Bureau for Economic Research. Being willing to detail the strengths and weaknesses of a particular approach is valuable as it will enable us to choose the appropriate proxy for each application and to interpret the results with insight.

 
JEL Classification:

C83, E43, E52, E58, E71

Keywords:

Inflation expectations survey, Bureau for Economic Research, inflation targeting, monetary policy, survey methodology

Download: PDF (867 KB)

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