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Testing the Life Cycle Model of Consumption: What Can We Learn From Micro and Macro Data?

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  • O. Attanasio
  • M. Browning
Abstract
In this paper we analyze the implicaions of the life cyrcle model for consumption and consider the possibility of testing the model using macro and micro data. We conclude that the implications of the model cannot be tested with macro data, whose analysis, however, is useful for forecats. We provide some evidence from US and UK micro datasets which shows that the life cycle model, at a first glance, is not unconsistent with tha data.

Suggested Citation

  • O. Attanasio & M. Browning, 1993. "Testing the Life Cycle Model of Consumption: What Can We Learn From Micro and Macro Data?," Working Papers 178, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    • Handle: RePEc:bol:bodewp:178
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    Cited by:

    1. Attanasio, Orazio P & Weber, Guglielmo, 1995. "Is Consumption Growth Consistent with Intertemporal Optimization? Evidence from the Consumer Expenditure Survey," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(6), pages 1121-1157, December.
    2. Aurélien Saïdi & Beatrice Cherrier & Pedro Garcia Duarte, 2024. "Household heterogeneity in macroeconomic models : A historical perspective," Post-Print hal-04425385, HAL.
    3. Simon Rottke & Alexander Klos, 2016. "Savings and Consumption When Children Move Out," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 20(6), pages 2349-2377.
    4. Leonardo Villar & David Forero & Carmen Elisa Flórez & Nadia Puerta & Erika Enríquez & Natalia Valencia-López & Juan Pablo Alzate, 2015. "Ahorro e inversión para la vejez," Informes de Investigación 13897, Fedesarrollo.
    5. Gemma Abio & Ció Patxot & Alexandrina Stoyanova & Raquel Andrés & Guadalupe Souto, 2022. "Lifecycle consumption and household structure: A pseudo-panel approach," UB School of Economics Working Papers 2022/436, University of Barcelona School of Economics.
    6. José M. Labeaga & Rubén Osuna, 2007. "Expenditures at retirement by Spanish households," Working Papers 2007-36, FEDEA.
    7. De Andrés Mosquera, Andrés, 2017. "Los determinantes a largo plazo y su contribución a la tasa de ahorro de los hogares españoles en el período 1985-2016 || Long-term determinants and its contribution to Spanish household saving rate d," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 24(1), pages 292-339, Diciembre.
    8. Cherrier, Beatrice & Duarte, Pedro Garcia & Saïdi, Aurélien, 2023. "Household heterogeneity in macroeconomic models: A historical perspective," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    9. Lei Fang & Anne Hannusch & Pedro Silos, 2019. "Back to Becker: Producing Consumption with Time and Goods," 2019 Meeting Papers 1386, Society for Economic Dynamics.

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