Productivity and the Welfare of Nations

This paper shows that the welfare of a country's representative consumer can be measured using just two variables: current and future total factor productivity and the capital stock per capita. These variables suffice to calculate welfare chan...

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Main Authors: Basu, Susanto, Pascali, Luigi, Schiantarelli, Fabio, Serven, Luis
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
NDP
TAX
TFP
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/04/16204947/productivity-welfare-nations
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6028
id okr-10986-6028
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ACCOUNTING
AMOUNT OF CAPITAL
ANNUAL GROWTH
ASSET GROWTH
ASSETS
AVERAGE TAX RATES
BENCHMARK
BENCHMARKS
BOND
BONDS
BUDGET CONSTRAINT
CAPITAL ACCUMULATION
CAPITAL GAINS
CAPITAL GOOD
CAPITAL GOODS
CAPITAL INCOME
CAPITAL INTENSITY
CAPITAL MARKETS
CAPITAL RETURNS
CAPITAL STOCK
CLOSED ECONOMIES
CLOSED ECONOMY
CONSTANT RETURNS TO SCALE
CONSUMERS
CONSUMPTION GOODS
CONSUMPTION GROWTH
COST OF CAPITAL
CURRENT ACCOUNT
DEPRECIATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DISCOUNT RATE
DISCOUNTED VALUE
DISTORTIONARY TAXES
DISTORTIONS
DOMESTIC BONDS
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC THEORY
ECONOMISTS
ELASTICITY
ELASTICITY OF LABOR SUPPLY
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EQUILIBRIUM
EXCHANGE RATE
EXCHANGE RATE MOVEMENTS
EXOGENOUS VARIABLES
EXPECTED UTILITY
EXTERNALITIES
FACTOR MARKETS
FEDERAL RESERVE
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
FORECASTS
FOREIGN ASSET
FOREIGN ASSET HOLDINGS
FOREIGN CURRENCY
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP PER CAPITA
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
GROSS CAPITAL FORMATION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
GROWTH MODELS
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
GROWTH THEORY
HOLDING
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HUMAN CAPITAL
IMPERFECT COMPETITION
INCOME
INCOME TAX
INCOME TAXES
INCREASING RETURNS
INCREASING RETURNS TO SCALE
INTANGIBLE
INTANGIBLES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INVENTORY
INVESTMENT GOODS
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LIFE EXPECTANCY
LOTTERIES
LOTTERY
MACROECONOMICS
MARGINAL COST
MARGINAL UTILITY
MARGINAL UTILITY OF CONSUMPTION
MARKET BEHAVIOR
MARKET COMPETITION
MARKET PRICE
MARKET PRICES
MARKET STRUCTURE
MARKET-CLEARING LEVEL
MONETARY POLICY
MONOPOLY
NATIONAL INCOME
NDP
NET DOMESTIC PRODUCT
NET EXPORTS
OPEN ECONOMIES
OPEN ECONOMY
OPTIMIZATION
OUTPUT
PER CAPITA INCOME
PERFECT COMPETITION
PORTFOLIOS
POSTWAR PERIOD
PRESENT VALUE
PRICE TAKERS
PRIMARY MARKET
PRIVATE BONDS
PRIVATE CONSUMPTION
PRODUCT MARKETS
PRODUCTION FUNCTION
PRODUCTION INPUTS
PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
PRODUCTIVITY
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC GOODS
PUBLIC POLICY
PUBLIC SPENDING
RATE OF GROWTH
RATE OF RETURN
RATES OF RETURN
REAL ABSORPTION
REAL ESTATE
REAL GDP
REAL INTEREST
REAL INTEREST RATE
RELATIVE PRICES
REMUNERATION
RETURN ON ASSETS
RETURN ON FOREIGN ASSETS
SECONDARY MARKET
SERIAL CORRELATION
SHARE OF CAPITAL
SLOWDOWN
STEADY STATE
STEADY STATE LEVEL
STOCKS
STRUCTURAL SHOCKS
TAX
TAX RATE
TAX RATES
TAX REVENUES
TAXATION
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS
TERMS OF TRADE
TOTAL EXPORTS
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
TOTAL IMPORTS
TRANSACTION
TRANSACTION PRICES
UNCERTAINTY
UTILITY FUNCTION
VALUE ADDED
WAGES
WEIGHTS
WELFARE GAINS
Welfare
TFP
Solow residual
spellingShingle ACCOUNTING
AMOUNT OF CAPITAL
ANNUAL GROWTH
ASSET GROWTH
ASSETS
AVERAGE TAX RATES
BENCHMARK
BENCHMARKS
BOND
BONDS
BUDGET CONSTRAINT
CAPITAL ACCUMULATION
CAPITAL GAINS
CAPITAL GOOD
CAPITAL GOODS
CAPITAL INCOME
CAPITAL INTENSITY
CAPITAL MARKETS
CAPITAL RETURNS
CAPITAL STOCK
CLOSED ECONOMIES
CLOSED ECONOMY
CONSTANT RETURNS TO SCALE
CONSUMERS
CONSUMPTION GOODS
CONSUMPTION GROWTH
COST OF CAPITAL
CURRENT ACCOUNT
DEPRECIATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DISCOUNT RATE
DISCOUNTED VALUE
DISTORTIONARY TAXES
DISTORTIONS
DOMESTIC BONDS
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC THEORY
ECONOMISTS
ELASTICITY
ELASTICITY OF LABOR SUPPLY
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EQUILIBRIUM
EXCHANGE RATE
EXCHANGE RATE MOVEMENTS
EXOGENOUS VARIABLES
EXPECTED UTILITY
EXTERNALITIES
FACTOR MARKETS
FEDERAL RESERVE
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
FORECASTS
FOREIGN ASSET
FOREIGN ASSET HOLDINGS
FOREIGN CURRENCY
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP PER CAPITA
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
GROSS CAPITAL FORMATION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
GROWTH MODELS
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
GROWTH THEORY
HOLDING
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HUMAN CAPITAL
IMPERFECT COMPETITION
INCOME
INCOME TAX
INCOME TAXES
INCREASING RETURNS
INCREASING RETURNS TO SCALE
INTANGIBLE
INTANGIBLES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INVENTORY
INVESTMENT GOODS
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LIFE EXPECTANCY
LOTTERIES
LOTTERY
MACROECONOMICS
MARGINAL COST
MARGINAL UTILITY
MARGINAL UTILITY OF CONSUMPTION
MARKET BEHAVIOR
MARKET COMPETITION
MARKET PRICE
MARKET PRICES
MARKET STRUCTURE
MARKET-CLEARING LEVEL
MONETARY POLICY
MONOPOLY
NATIONAL INCOME
NDP
NET DOMESTIC PRODUCT
NET EXPORTS
OPEN ECONOMIES
OPEN ECONOMY
OPTIMIZATION
OUTPUT
PER CAPITA INCOME
PERFECT COMPETITION
PORTFOLIOS
POSTWAR PERIOD
PRESENT VALUE
PRICE TAKERS
PRIMARY MARKET
PRIVATE BONDS
PRIVATE CONSUMPTION
PRODUCT MARKETS
PRODUCTION FUNCTION
PRODUCTION INPUTS
PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
PRODUCTIVITY
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC GOODS
PUBLIC POLICY
PUBLIC SPENDING
RATE OF GROWTH
RATE OF RETURN
RATES OF RETURN
REAL ABSORPTION
REAL ESTATE
REAL GDP
REAL INTEREST
REAL INTEREST RATE
RELATIVE PRICES
REMUNERATION
RETURN ON ASSETS
RETURN ON FOREIGN ASSETS
SECONDARY MARKET
SERIAL CORRELATION
SHARE OF CAPITAL
SLOWDOWN
STEADY STATE
STEADY STATE LEVEL
STOCKS
STRUCTURAL SHOCKS
TAX
TAX RATE
TAX RATES
TAX REVENUES
TAXATION
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS
TERMS OF TRADE
TOTAL EXPORTS
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
TOTAL IMPORTS
TRANSACTION
TRANSACTION PRICES
UNCERTAINTY
UTILITY FUNCTION
VALUE ADDED
WAGES
WEIGHTS
WELFARE GAINS
Welfare
TFP
Solow residual
Basu, Susanto
Pascali, Luigi
Schiantarelli, Fabio
Serven, Luis
Productivity and the Welfare of Nations
relation Policy Research Working Paper ; No. 6026
description This paper shows that the welfare of a country's representative consumer can be measured using just two variables: current and future total factor productivity and the capital stock per capita. These variables suffice to calculate welfare changes within a country, as well as welfare differences across countries. The result holds regardless of the type of production technology and the degree of market competition. It applies to open economies as well, if total factor productivity is constructed using domestic absorption, instead of gross domestic product, as the measure of output. It also requires that total factor productivity be constructed with prices and quantities as perceived by consumers, not firms. Thus, factor shares need to be calculated using after-tax wages and rental rates and they will typically sum to less than one. These results are used to calculate welfare gaps and growth rates in a sample of developed countries with high-quality total factor productivity and capital data. Under realistic scenarios, the U.K. and Spain had the highest growth rates of welfare during the sample period 1985-2005, but the U.S. had the highest level of welfare.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Basu, Susanto
Pascali, Luigi
Schiantarelli, Fabio
Serven, Luis
author_facet Basu, Susanto
Pascali, Luigi
Schiantarelli, Fabio
Serven, Luis
author_sort Basu, Susanto
title Productivity and the Welfare of Nations
title_short Productivity and the Welfare of Nations
title_full Productivity and the Welfare of Nations
title_fullStr Productivity and the Welfare of Nations
title_full_unstemmed Productivity and the Welfare of Nations
title_sort productivity and the welfare of nations
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/04/16204947/productivity-welfare-nations
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6028
_version_ 1764397156777590784
spelling okr-10986-60282021-04-23T14:02:24Z Productivity and the Welfare of Nations Basu, Susanto Pascali, Luigi Schiantarelli, Fabio Serven, Luis ACCOUNTING AMOUNT OF CAPITAL ANNUAL GROWTH ASSET GROWTH ASSETS AVERAGE TAX RATES BENCHMARK BENCHMARKS BOND BONDS BUDGET CONSTRAINT CAPITAL ACCUMULATION CAPITAL GAINS CAPITAL GOOD CAPITAL GOODS CAPITAL INCOME CAPITAL INTENSITY CAPITAL MARKETS CAPITAL RETURNS CAPITAL STOCK CLOSED ECONOMIES CLOSED ECONOMY CONSTANT RETURNS TO SCALE CONSUMERS CONSUMPTION GOODS CONSUMPTION GROWTH COST OF CAPITAL CURRENT ACCOUNT DEPRECIATION DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DISCOUNT RATE DISCOUNTED VALUE DISTORTIONARY TAXES DISTORTIONS DOMESTIC BONDS ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC THEORY ECONOMISTS ELASTICITY ELASTICITY OF LABOR SUPPLY ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY EQUILIBRIUM EXCHANGE RATE EXCHANGE RATE MOVEMENTS EXOGENOUS VARIABLES EXPECTED UTILITY EXTERNALITIES FACTOR MARKETS FEDERAL RESERVE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK FORECASTS FOREIGN ASSET FOREIGN ASSET HOLDINGS FOREIGN CURRENCY FUTURE RESEARCH GDP PER CAPITA GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES GOVERNMENT SPENDING GROSS CAPITAL FORMATION GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH MODELS GROWTH RATE GROWTH RATES GROWTH THEORY HOLDING HOUSEHOLD INCOME HUMAN CAPITAL IMPERFECT COMPETITION INCOME INCOME TAX INCOME TAXES INCREASING RETURNS INCREASING RETURNS TO SCALE INTANGIBLE INTANGIBLES INTERNATIONAL BANK INVENTORY INVESTMENT GOODS LABOR MARKET LABOR MARKETS LIFE EXPECTANCY LOTTERIES LOTTERY MACROECONOMICS MARGINAL COST MARGINAL UTILITY MARGINAL UTILITY OF CONSUMPTION MARKET BEHAVIOR MARKET COMPETITION MARKET PRICE MARKET PRICES MARKET STRUCTURE MARKET-CLEARING LEVEL MONETARY POLICY MONOPOLY NATIONAL INCOME NDP NET DOMESTIC PRODUCT NET EXPORTS OPEN ECONOMIES OPEN ECONOMY OPTIMIZATION OUTPUT PER CAPITA INCOME PERFECT COMPETITION PORTFOLIOS POSTWAR PERIOD PRESENT VALUE PRICE TAKERS PRIMARY MARKET PRIVATE BONDS PRIVATE CONSUMPTION PRODUCT MARKETS PRODUCTION FUNCTION PRODUCTION INPUTS PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC GOODS PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SPENDING RATE OF GROWTH RATE OF RETURN RATES OF RETURN REAL ABSORPTION REAL ESTATE REAL GDP REAL INTEREST REAL INTEREST RATE RELATIVE PRICES REMUNERATION RETURN ON ASSETS RETURN ON FOREIGN ASSETS SECONDARY MARKET SERIAL CORRELATION SHARE OF CAPITAL SLOWDOWN STEADY STATE STEADY STATE LEVEL STOCKS STRUCTURAL SHOCKS TAX TAX RATE TAX RATES TAX REVENUES TAXATION TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS TERMS OF TRADE TOTAL EXPORTS TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY TOTAL IMPORTS TRANSACTION TRANSACTION PRICES UNCERTAINTY UTILITY FUNCTION VALUE ADDED WAGES WEIGHTS WELFARE GAINS Welfare TFP Solow residual This paper shows that the welfare of a country's representative consumer can be measured using just two variables: current and future total factor productivity and the capital stock per capita. These variables suffice to calculate welfare changes within a country, as well as welfare differences across countries. The result holds regardless of the type of production technology and the degree of market competition. It applies to open economies as well, if total factor productivity is constructed using domestic absorption, instead of gross domestic product, as the measure of output. It also requires that total factor productivity be constructed with prices and quantities as perceived by consumers, not firms. Thus, factor shares need to be calculated using after-tax wages and rental rates and they will typically sum to less than one. These results are used to calculate welfare gaps and growth rates in a sample of developed countries with high-quality total factor productivity and capital data. Under realistic scenarios, the U.K. and Spain had the highest growth rates of welfare during the sample period 1985-2005, but the U.S. had the highest level of welfare. 2012-04-27T07:44:00Z 2012-04-27T07:44:00Z 2012-04 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/04/16204947/productivity-welfare-nations http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6028 English Policy Research Working Paper ; No. 6026 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research