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Nonlinear income variance profiles and consumption inequality over the life cycle

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  • Abe, Naohito
  • Yamada, Tomoaki
Abstract
In contrast to many other countries, consumption inequalities in Japan are not constant over household age but increase from around middle age--a fact first highlighted by Ohtake and Saito [Ohtake, F., Saito, M., 1998. Population aging and consumption inequality in Japan. Rev. Income Wealth 44, 361-381]. Given this information, we examine whether this phenomenon is consistent with the standard precautionary saving model developed by Carroll [Carroll, C.D., 1997. Buffer-stock savings and the life cycle/permanent income hypothesis. Quart. J. Econ. 62, 1-56]. Specifically, we investigate: (1) the degree of age dependence of idiosyncratic income risks; and (2) the importance of age dependence for the evolution of inequalities in consumption predicted by the household model of Carroll (1997). We find a strong age dependence of income risks, which creates a nonlinear age-variance profile of income, and the standard precautionary saving model is consistent with the observed consumption inequalities as long as we take the nonlinearity in age-variance profiles of income into account.

Suggested Citation

  • Abe, Naohito & Yamada, Tomoaki, 2009. "Nonlinear income variance profiles and consumption inequality over the life cycle," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 344-366, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jjieco:v:23:y:2009:i:3:p:344-366
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    2. Minchung Hsu & Tomoaki Yamada, 2019. "Population Aging, Health Care, and Fiscal Policy Reform: The Challenges for Japan," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(2), pages 547-577, April.
    3. Yamada, Tomoaki, 2013. "Cross-sectional Facts in Japan using Keio Household Panel Survey," MPRA Paper 49813, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Yamada, Tomoaki, 2012. "Income risk, macroeconomic and demographic change, and economic inequality in Japan," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 63-84.
    5. Yamada, Tomoaki, 2011. "A politically feasible social security reform with a two-tier structure," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 199-224, September.
    6. Masakatsu Okubo, 2015. "Earnings Dynamics and Profile Heterogeneity: Estimates from Japanese Panel Data," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 66(1), pages 112-146, March.
    7. Aleksandra Urbaniec, 2012. "Life cycle income and consumption patterns in transition," EcoMod2012 4457, EcoMod.
    8. Aleksandra Kolasa, 2012. "Life Cycle Income and Consumption Patterns in Transition," Working Papers 2012-17, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    9. Naohito Abe & Noriko Inakura & Tomoaki Yamada, 2007. "Consumption, Working Hours, and Wealth Determination in a Life Cycle Model," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 07-E-14, Bank of Japan.
    10. Aleksandra Kolasa, 2017. "Life Cycle Income and Consumption Patterns in Poland," Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, vol. 9(2), pages 137-172, June.
    11. Masaru INABA & Kengo NUTAHARA & Daichi SHIRAI, 2023. "Sources of Inequality and Business Cycles: Evidence from the US and Japan," CIGS Working Paper Series 23-006E, The Canon Institute for Global Studies.
    12. Abe, Naohito & Yamada, Tomoaki, 2009. "Nonlinear income variance profiles and consumption inequality over the life cycle," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 344-366, September.
    13. Tomoaki Yamada & Minchung Hsu & Gary D. Hansen, 2011. "Financing Health Care in Japan: The Impact of an Aging Population," 2011 Meeting Papers 717, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    14. Jung, Daesun & Kim, Young Sik, 2020. "Income volatility, household leverage, and consumption in Korea," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    15. Bessho, Shun-ichiro & Tobita, Eiko, 2008. "Unemployment risk and buffer-stock saving: An empirical investigation in Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 303-325, August.
    16. Tomoaki Yamada, 2009. "Persistence of income shocks and consumption inequality: A case in Japan," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 29(4), pages 2822-2831.
    17. Niizeki, Takeshi & Suga, Fumihiko, 2021. "The impact of the rise and collapse of Japan's housing price bubble on households’ lifetime utility," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income risk Buffer stock savings Consumption inequality Method of simulated moments;

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D52 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Incomplete Markets
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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