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Although several studies have examined why overall price levels are higher in richer countries, little is known about whether there is a similar relationship at the urban and city level across countries. This paper compares the price levels of cities in Sub-Saharan Africa with those of other regions by analyzing price information collected for the 2011 round of the International Comparison Program. Readjusting the calculated price levels from national to urban levels, the analysis indicates that African cities are relatively more expensive, despite having lower income levels. The price levels of goods and services consumed by households are up to 31percent higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in other low- and middle-income countries, relative to their income levels. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are especially expensive, with price levels around 35 percent higher than in other countries. The paper also analyzes price information collected by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, and obtains a similar result, indicating higher prices of goods and services in African cities.

International Comparison Program --- Price Level --- Purchasing Power Parity --- Urbanization

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Although the theoretical relationships are ambiguous, evidence suggestsa strong link between the choice of the exchange rate regime and economicperformance. The paper argues that adopting a pegged exchange rate canlead to lower inflation, but also to slower growth in productivity. Itfinds that on average per capita GDP growth was slightly faster underfloating regimes than under pegged exchange regimes.

Economic growth --- International finance --- Foreign Exchange --- Inflation --- Price Level --- Deflation --- Currency --- Foreign exchange --- Macroeconomics --- Exchange rate arrangements --- Exchange rates --- Floating exchange rates --- Conventional peg --- Prices

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This paper analyses how globalization has affected inflation in the New EU Members States (NMS), and Poland in particular, since 1995. It finds prices have become less sensitive to domestic economic conditions as trade integration rose, possibly because monetary policy incentives increasingly shifted toward meeting price stability objectives. Quantitatively, globalization appears to have lowered Polish prices by ½ to 1 percentage point annually since 1995, substantially more than in advanced economies. However, future inflation-dampening effects in the NMS are likely to be smaller as the pace of increases in trade openness moderates.

Exports and Imports --- Inflation --- Macroeconomics --- Globalization --- Price Level --- Deflation --- Globalization: General --- Trade: General --- International economics --- Import prices --- Imports --- Consumer prices --- Prices --- Poland, Republic of --- Inflation (Finance) --- Globalization.

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Evaluation of policy rules using empirical macroeconomic models is usually done on the assumption that the rules are perfectly credible. However, there are usually circumstances that cause the authorities to abandon any given rule. The public's expectations reflect this possibility. In the paper, credibility is assumed to depend on the probability that the authorities will abandon a rule because the resulting utility exceeds that from maintaining the rule. Simulations of a disinflation policy leading to price stability are presented. Its credibility varies over time, depending on the paths for output and inflation.

Inflation --- Production and Operations Management --- Price Level --- Deflation --- Macroeconomics: Production --- Expectations --- Speculations --- Monetary Policy --- Macroeconomics --- Capacity utilization --- Prices --- Production --- Industrial capacity --- United States

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Persistent inflation and slow stabilization are usually the result of policy accommodation resorted to in an attempt to avoid the recessionary costs of a sharp reduction of inflation. This paper reviews three explanations for why policymakers, despite their dislike of inflation, may nevertheless choose to adopt accommodative policies. It emphasizes the role of indexation, uncertainty about policymakers’ preferences, and the existence of fixed costs associated with the implementation of a stabilization program. The paper also presents some evidence on the extent of persistence of inflation across countries.

Inflation --- Price Level --- Deflation --- Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit: General --- Macroeconomics --- Inflation persistence --- Disinflation --- Prices --- Belgium