2.3.6

Measuring Inflation

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Inflation

A modern economy has millions of goods and services whose prices are continually changing. To measure inflation, economists measure the change in price level of a representative 'basket' of goods and services.

Inflation

Inflation

Inflation is defined as a persistent increase in the general price level over a given period of time.
Inflation figures are normally given on an annualized basis.
The most common measure for inflation is CPI, the Consumer Price Index.
This is calculated by measuring the change in the value of a basket of goods and services.

An economic indicator

An economic indicator

One reason inflation is an indicator of the strength of the economy is because high and unexpected inflation would mean goods and services are becoming unaffordable as the purchasing power of income falls.

The price of a basket of goods

The price of a basket of goods

To calculate the price level, economists begin with the concept of a basket of goods and services, consisting of the different items individuals, businesses, or organizations typically buy.
Economists then use a weighted average of these goods. This is because changes in the price of goods for which people spend a larger share of their incomes will matter more than changes in the prices of goods for which people spend a smaller share of their incomes.

1

Microeconomics

1.1

Competitive Markets: Demand & Suply

1.1.1Markets & Demand 1.1.2Diminishing Marginal Returns 1.1.3Supply 1.1.4Market Equilibrium 1.1.5Price Mechanism 1.1.6Consumer & Producer Surplus 1.1.7IB Multiple Choice - Demand 1.1.8IB Multiple Choice - Supply

1.2

Elasticity

1.2.1Elasticities of Demand 1.2.2Factors Affecting Price Elasticity of Demand 1.2.3Elasticity of Supply 1.2.4Price Elasticity of Supply 1.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Price Elasticity of Demand 1.2.6IB Multiple Choice - Price Elasticity of Supply 1.2.7IB Multiple Choice - Other Elasticities

1.3

Government Intervention

1.3.1Indirect Taxes & Subsidies 1.3.2Application Question - Taxing Prices or Quantities 1.3.3Subsidies & Price Controls 1.3.4Deadweight Loss & Government Intervention 1.3.5Elasticity & Tax Incidence 1.3.6IB Multiple Choice - Government Intervention

1.4

Market Failure

1.4.1Types of Market Failure 1.4.2Introduction to Externalities 1.4.3Negative Externalities 1.4.4Policy for Negative Externalities 1.4.5Positive Externalities 1.4.6The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities 1.4.7Case Study - The Externalities of Education 1.4.8Public Goods & the Free-Rider Problem 1.4.9Asymmetric Information 1.4.10End of Topic Test - Market Failure 1.4.11Application Questions - Market Failure

1.5

HL: Theory of the Firm & Market Structures

1.5.1Theory of the Firm & Market Structures

2

Macroeconomics

2.1

The Level of Overall Economic Activity

2.1.1The Circular Flow of Income 2.1.2Defining GDP 2.1.3Limitations of GDP 2.1.4IB Multiple Choice - Economic Indicators 2.1.5Business Cycles 2.1.6Output Gaps

2.2

Aggregate Demand & Aggregate Supply

2.2.1The Aggregate Demand Curve 2.2.2Components of Aggregate Demand 2.2.3Shape of the Aggregate Demand Curve 2.2.4Shifts in Aggregate Demand 2.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Aggregate Demand 2.2.6Short & Long-Run Aggregate Supply 2.2.7Alternative Models of LRAS 2.2.8Equilibrium in the AD-AS Model 2.2.9Output Gaps & the AD-AS Model

2.3

Macroeconomic Objectives

2.3.1Introduction to Unemployment 2.3.2Limitations of Unemployment 2.3.3Types of Unemployment 2.3.4Causes & Impact of Unemployment 2.3.5Defining Inflation 2.3.6Measuring Inflation 2.3.7Use of Index Numbers 2.3.8The Consumer Price Index 2.3.9Consequences of Inflation 2.3.10Causes of Inflation 2.3.11Inflation & Unemployment Tradeoff 2.3.12The Short-Run Phillips Curve 2.3.13The Long-Run Phillips Curve

2.4

Economic Growth, Poverty & Inequality

2.4.1Measuring Economic Growth 2.4.2Determinants of Productivity 2.4.3Economic Growth & Productivity 2.4.4Absolute & Relative Poverty 2.4.5Inequality 2.4.6Inequality 2 2.4.7Lorenz Curve 2.4.8Government Policy on Poverty 2.4.9End of Topic Test - Poverty & Inequality 2.4.10Application - Inequality & Poverty

2.5

Fiscal Policy

2.5.1Introduction to Fiscal Policy 2.5.2Fiscal Policy and AD-AS Model 2.5.3Fiscal Policy Lags 2.5.4Automatic Stabilizers 2.5.5IB Multiple Choice - Fiscal Policy

2.6

Monetary Policy

2.6.1Objectives of Monetary Policy 2.6.2Monetary Policy Implementation 2.6.3Monetary Policy & AD-AS Model 2.6.4Monetary Policy Lags & Pitfalls

2.7

Supply-Side Policies

2.7.1Supply-Side Policies 2.7.2Supply-Side Policies 2

3

The Global Economy

3.1

International Trade

3.1.1Globalisation 3.1.2Globalisation for LEDCs 3.1.3Globalisation for MEDCs 3.1.4Comparative Advantage & Trade 3.1.5Protectionism 3.1.6Arguments for Protectionism 3.1.7Arguments Against Protectionism 3.1.8End of Topic Test - Globalisation & Trade 3.1.9Case Study - Globalisation & Trade

3.2

Exchange Rates

3.2.1Floating Exchange Rates 3.2.2Fixed Exchange Rate 3.2.3Effect of a Stronger & Weaker Dollar

3.3

The Balance of Payments

3.3.1Balance of Payments 3.3.2Balance of Payments 2 3.3.3FDI & Reducing a BoP Deficit

3.4

Economic Integration

3.4.1Customs Unions & WTO 3.4.2Merged Currency

3.5

Terms of Trade

3.5.1Absolute & Comparative Advantage 3.5.2Gains from Trade 3.5.3Terms of Trade 3.5.4IB Multiple Choice - Comparative Advantage & Trade

3.6

Economic Development

3.6.1Factors Influencing Growth & Development 3.6.2International Institutions 3.6.3Measures of Development 3.6.4Barriers to Development 3.6.5Case Study - The Bottom Billion 3.6.6End of Topic Test - Emerging & Developing

3.7

The Role of Domestic & International Factors

3.7.1Interventionist Strategies 3.7.2Development Strategies 3.7.3Development Promotion Policies 3.7.4End of Topic Test - Growth & Global Development 3.7.5Application Questions -Growth & Global Development

3.8

The Role of International Trade

3.8.1International Institutions 3.8.2End of Topic Test - Globalisation & Trade

3.9

The Role of Foreign Aid

3.9.1Aid 3.9.2Limitations of Aid 3.9.3Support for Aid 3.9.4Application Questions - Developing Countries

Jump to other topics

1

Microeconomics

1.1

Competitive Markets: Demand & Suply

1.1.1Markets & Demand 1.1.2Diminishing Marginal Returns 1.1.3Supply 1.1.4Market Equilibrium 1.1.5Price Mechanism 1.1.6Consumer & Producer Surplus 1.1.7IB Multiple Choice - Demand 1.1.8IB Multiple Choice - Supply

1.2

Elasticity

1.2.1Elasticities of Demand 1.2.2Factors Affecting Price Elasticity of Demand 1.2.3Elasticity of Supply 1.2.4Price Elasticity of Supply 1.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Price Elasticity of Demand 1.2.6IB Multiple Choice - Price Elasticity of Supply 1.2.7IB Multiple Choice - Other Elasticities

1.3

Government Intervention

1.3.1Indirect Taxes & Subsidies 1.3.2Application Question - Taxing Prices or Quantities 1.3.3Subsidies & Price Controls 1.3.4Deadweight Loss & Government Intervention 1.3.5Elasticity & Tax Incidence 1.3.6IB Multiple Choice - Government Intervention

1.4

Market Failure

1.4.1Types of Market Failure 1.4.2Introduction to Externalities 1.4.3Negative Externalities 1.4.4Policy for Negative Externalities 1.4.5Positive Externalities 1.4.6The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities 1.4.7Case Study - The Externalities of Education 1.4.8Public Goods & the Free-Rider Problem 1.4.9Asymmetric Information 1.4.10End of Topic Test - Market Failure 1.4.11Application Questions - Market Failure

1.5

HL: Theory of the Firm & Market Structures

1.5.1Theory of the Firm & Market Structures

2

Macroeconomics

2.1

The Level of Overall Economic Activity

2.1.1The Circular Flow of Income 2.1.2Defining GDP 2.1.3Limitations of GDP 2.1.4IB Multiple Choice - Economic Indicators 2.1.5Business Cycles 2.1.6Output Gaps

2.2

Aggregate Demand & Aggregate Supply

2.2.1The Aggregate Demand Curve 2.2.2Components of Aggregate Demand 2.2.3Shape of the Aggregate Demand Curve 2.2.4Shifts in Aggregate Demand 2.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Aggregate Demand 2.2.6Short & Long-Run Aggregate Supply 2.2.7Alternative Models of LRAS 2.2.8Equilibrium in the AD-AS Model 2.2.9Output Gaps & the AD-AS Model

2.3

Macroeconomic Objectives

2.3.1Introduction to Unemployment 2.3.2Limitations of Unemployment 2.3.3Types of Unemployment 2.3.4Causes & Impact of Unemployment 2.3.5Defining Inflation 2.3.6Measuring Inflation 2.3.7Use of Index Numbers 2.3.8The Consumer Price Index 2.3.9Consequences of Inflation 2.3.10Causes of Inflation 2.3.11Inflation & Unemployment Tradeoff 2.3.12The Short-Run Phillips Curve 2.3.13The Long-Run Phillips Curve

2.4

Economic Growth, Poverty & Inequality

2.4.1Measuring Economic Growth 2.4.2Determinants of Productivity 2.4.3Economic Growth & Productivity 2.4.4Absolute & Relative Poverty 2.4.5Inequality 2.4.6Inequality 2 2.4.7Lorenz Curve 2.4.8Government Policy on Poverty 2.4.9End of Topic Test - Poverty & Inequality 2.4.10Application - Inequality & Poverty

2.5

Fiscal Policy

2.5.1Introduction to Fiscal Policy 2.5.2Fiscal Policy and AD-AS Model 2.5.3Fiscal Policy Lags 2.5.4Automatic Stabilizers 2.5.5IB Multiple Choice - Fiscal Policy

2.6

Monetary Policy

2.6.1Objectives of Monetary Policy 2.6.2Monetary Policy Implementation 2.6.3Monetary Policy & AD-AS Model 2.6.4Monetary Policy Lags & Pitfalls

2.7

Supply-Side Policies

2.7.1Supply-Side Policies 2.7.2Supply-Side Policies 2

3

The Global Economy

3.1

International Trade

3.1.1Globalisation 3.1.2Globalisation for LEDCs 3.1.3Globalisation for MEDCs 3.1.4Comparative Advantage & Trade 3.1.5Protectionism 3.1.6Arguments for Protectionism 3.1.7Arguments Against Protectionism 3.1.8End of Topic Test - Globalisation & Trade 3.1.9Case Study - Globalisation & Trade

3.2

Exchange Rates

3.2.1Floating Exchange Rates 3.2.2Fixed Exchange Rate 3.2.3Effect of a Stronger & Weaker Dollar

3.3

The Balance of Payments

3.3.1Balance of Payments 3.3.2Balance of Payments 2 3.3.3FDI & Reducing a BoP Deficit

3.4

Economic Integration

3.4.1Customs Unions & WTO 3.4.2Merged Currency

3.5

Terms of Trade

3.5.1Absolute & Comparative Advantage 3.5.2Gains from Trade 3.5.3Terms of Trade 3.5.4IB Multiple Choice - Comparative Advantage & Trade

3.6

Economic Development

3.6.1Factors Influencing Growth & Development 3.6.2International Institutions 3.6.3Measures of Development 3.6.4Barriers to Development 3.6.5Case Study - The Bottom Billion 3.6.6End of Topic Test - Emerging & Developing

3.7

The Role of Domestic & International Factors

3.7.1Interventionist Strategies 3.7.2Development Strategies 3.7.3Development Promotion Policies 3.7.4End of Topic Test - Growth & Global Development 3.7.5Application Questions -Growth & Global Development

3.8

The Role of International Trade

3.8.1International Institutions 3.8.2End of Topic Test - Globalisation & Trade

3.9

The Role of Foreign Aid

3.9.1Aid 3.9.2Limitations of Aid 3.9.3Support for Aid 3.9.4Application Questions - Developing Countries

Practice questions on Measuring Inflation

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1
What is defined as the persistent increase in the general price level over a given period of time?Multiple choice
2
How do economists construct a basket of goods used to measure inflation?Multiple choice

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Defining Inflation

Use of Index Numbers