The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries

The social discount rate measures the rate at which a society would be willing to trade present for future consumption. As such it is one of the most critical inputs needed for cost-benefit analysis. This paper presents estimates of the social disc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lopez, Humberto
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
GDP
TAX
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/06/9493488/social-discount-rate-estimates-nine-latin-american-countries
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6659
id okr-10986-6659
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-66592021-04-23T14:02:32Z The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries Lopez, Humberto ALTERNATIVE USE AVERAGE GROWTH AVERAGE GROWTH RATE AVERAGE TAX RATES CALCULATION CALCULATIONS COMMODITY COMMODITY PRICES CONSUMERS COST EFFECTIVENESS COUNTRY LEVEL CROSS COUNTRY DENSITY FUNCTION DERIVATIVES DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS DISCOUNT RATE DISCOUNT RATES ECONOMETRIC MODELS ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC LITERATURE ECONOMIC REVIEW ECONOMICS ECONOMICS LETTERS ECONOMICS LITERATURE ELASTICITY EMPIRICAL ESTIMATES EMPIRICAL LITERATURE EMPIRICAL STUDIES EMPIRICAL WORKS EXPECTED VALUE EXPENDITURE FINANCIAL SECTORS FORECASTS FUTURE GROWTH FUTURE INCOME GDP GOVERNMENT BONDS GROWTH LITERATURE GROWTH MODELS GROWTH PROJECTIONS GROWTH PROSPECTS GROWTH RATE GROWTH RATES HIGH GROWTH HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES HISTORICAL GROWTH INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME LEVEL INCOME LEVELS INCOME TAX INTEREST RATE INTEREST RATES INTERNATIONAL BANK INVESTMENT PROGRAMS LATIN AMERICAN LIFE SPAN LIFETIMES LONG RUN LOWER INTEREST RATE LUMP SUM MARGINAL TAX MARGINAL TAX RATE MARGINAL TAX RATES MARGINAL UTILITY MARGINAL UTILITY OF CONSUMPTION MORTALITY RATES OPPORTUNITY COST PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION GROWTH PER CAPITA GROWTH PER CAPITA GROWTH RATE PER CAPITA INCOME PER CAPITA INCOME LEVEL PER CAPITA INCOME LEVELS PERSONAL INCOME POINT ESTIMATES POLICY MAKERS POLICY MAKING POLICY RESEARCH POLITICAL ECONOMY POSITIVE IMPACT PRIVATE INVESTMENT PRIVATE SECTOR PROBABILITY PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC FINANCE PUBLIC GOODS PUBLIC INVESTMENT PUBLIC POLICIES PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR BORROWING PUBLIC SPENDING RATE OF INTEREST RATE OF RETURN REAL RATE RISK AVERSION SAVINGS SAVINGS BEHAVIOR SAVINGS PROGRAM SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES TAX TAX RATE TAX RATES TAX REGIME TREASURY UTILITY FUNCTION WORTH Social discount rate cost-benefit analysis The social discount rate measures the rate at which a society would be willing to trade present for future consumption. As such it is one of the most critical inputs needed for cost-benefit analysis. This paper presents estimates of the social discount rates for nine Latin American countries. It is argued that if the recent track record in terms of growth in the region is indicative of future performance, estimates of the social discount rate would be in the 3-4 percent range. However, to the extent that the region improves on its past performance, the social discount rate to be used in the evaluation of projects would increase to the 5-7 percent range. The paper also argues that if the social planner gives a similar chance to the low and high growth scenario, the discount rate should be dependent on the horizon of the project, declining from 4.4 percent for a 25-year horizon to less than 4 percent for a 100-year horizon. 2012-05-30T17:00:10Z 2012-05-30T17:00:10Z 2008-06 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/06/9493488/social-discount-rate-estimates-nine-latin-american-countries http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6659 English Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4639 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 Latin America & Caribbean Latin America
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ALTERNATIVE USE
AVERAGE GROWTH
AVERAGE GROWTH RATE
AVERAGE TAX RATES
CALCULATION
CALCULATIONS
COMMODITY
COMMODITY PRICES
CONSUMERS
COST EFFECTIVENESS
COUNTRY LEVEL
CROSS COUNTRY
DENSITY FUNCTION
DERIVATIVES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
DISCOUNT RATE
DISCOUNT RATES
ECONOMETRIC MODELS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC LITERATURE
ECONOMIC REVIEW
ECONOMICS
ECONOMICS LETTERS
ECONOMICS LITERATURE
ELASTICITY
EMPIRICAL ESTIMATES
EMPIRICAL LITERATURE
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORKS
EXPECTED VALUE
EXPENDITURE
FINANCIAL SECTORS
FORECASTS
FUTURE GROWTH
FUTURE INCOME
GDP
GOVERNMENT BONDS
GROWTH LITERATURE
GROWTH MODELS
GROWTH PROJECTIONS
GROWTH PROSPECTS
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
HIGH GROWTH
HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES
HISTORICAL GROWTH
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME LEVEL
INCOME LEVELS
INCOME TAX
INTEREST RATE
INTEREST RATES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
LATIN AMERICAN
LIFE SPAN
LIFETIMES
LONG RUN
LOWER INTEREST RATE
LUMP SUM
MARGINAL TAX
MARGINAL TAX RATE
MARGINAL TAX RATES
MARGINAL UTILITY
MARGINAL UTILITY OF CONSUMPTION
MORTALITY RATES
OPPORTUNITY COST
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION GROWTH
PER CAPITA GROWTH
PER CAPITA GROWTH RATE
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOME LEVEL
PER CAPITA INCOME LEVELS
PERSONAL INCOME
POINT ESTIMATES
POLICY MAKERS
POLICY MAKING
POLICY RESEARCH
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POSITIVE IMPACT
PRIVATE INVESTMENT
PRIVATE SECTOR
PROBABILITY
PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC FINANCE
PUBLIC GOODS
PUBLIC INVESTMENT
PUBLIC POLICIES
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR BORROWING
PUBLIC SPENDING
RATE OF INTEREST
RATE OF RETURN
REAL RATE
RISK AVERSION
SAVINGS
SAVINGS BEHAVIOR
SAVINGS PROGRAM
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES
TAX
TAX RATE
TAX RATES
TAX REGIME
TREASURY
UTILITY FUNCTION
WORTH
Social discount rate
cost-benefit analysis
spellingShingle ALTERNATIVE USE
AVERAGE GROWTH
AVERAGE GROWTH RATE
AVERAGE TAX RATES
CALCULATION
CALCULATIONS
COMMODITY
COMMODITY PRICES
CONSUMERS
COST EFFECTIVENESS
COUNTRY LEVEL
CROSS COUNTRY
DENSITY FUNCTION
DERIVATIVES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
DISCOUNT RATE
DISCOUNT RATES
ECONOMETRIC MODELS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC LITERATURE
ECONOMIC REVIEW
ECONOMICS
ECONOMICS LETTERS
ECONOMICS LITERATURE
ELASTICITY
EMPIRICAL ESTIMATES
EMPIRICAL LITERATURE
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORKS
EXPECTED VALUE
EXPENDITURE
FINANCIAL SECTORS
FORECASTS
FUTURE GROWTH
FUTURE INCOME
GDP
GOVERNMENT BONDS
GROWTH LITERATURE
GROWTH MODELS
GROWTH PROJECTIONS
GROWTH PROSPECTS
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
HIGH GROWTH
HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES
HISTORICAL GROWTH
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME LEVEL
INCOME LEVELS
INCOME TAX
INTEREST RATE
INTEREST RATES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
LATIN AMERICAN
LIFE SPAN
LIFETIMES
LONG RUN
LOWER INTEREST RATE
LUMP SUM
MARGINAL TAX
MARGINAL TAX RATE
MARGINAL TAX RATES
MARGINAL UTILITY
MARGINAL UTILITY OF CONSUMPTION
MORTALITY RATES
OPPORTUNITY COST
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION GROWTH
PER CAPITA GROWTH
PER CAPITA GROWTH RATE
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOME LEVEL
PER CAPITA INCOME LEVELS
PERSONAL INCOME
POINT ESTIMATES
POLICY MAKERS
POLICY MAKING
POLICY RESEARCH
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POSITIVE IMPACT
PRIVATE INVESTMENT
PRIVATE SECTOR
PROBABILITY
PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC FINANCE
PUBLIC GOODS
PUBLIC INVESTMENT
PUBLIC POLICIES
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR BORROWING
PUBLIC SPENDING
RATE OF INTEREST
RATE OF RETURN
REAL RATE
RISK AVERSION
SAVINGS
SAVINGS BEHAVIOR
SAVINGS PROGRAM
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES
TAX
TAX RATE
TAX RATES
TAX REGIME
TREASURY
UTILITY FUNCTION
WORTH
Social discount rate
cost-benefit analysis
Lopez, Humberto
The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries
geographic_facet Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America
relation Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4639
description The social discount rate measures the rate at which a society would be willing to trade present for future consumption. As such it is one of the most critical inputs needed for cost-benefit analysis. This paper presents estimates of the social discount rates for nine Latin American countries. It is argued that if the recent track record in terms of growth in the region is indicative of future performance, estimates of the social discount rate would be in the 3-4 percent range. However, to the extent that the region improves on its past performance, the social discount rate to be used in the evaluation of projects would increase to the 5-7 percent range. The paper also argues that if the social planner gives a similar chance to the low and high growth scenario, the discount rate should be dependent on the horizon of the project, declining from 4.4 percent for a 25-year horizon to less than 4 percent for a 100-year horizon.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Lopez, Humberto
author_facet Lopez, Humberto
author_sort Lopez, Humberto
title The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries
title_short The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries
title_full The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries
title_fullStr The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries
title_full_unstemmed The Social Discount Rate : Estimates for Nine Latin American Countries
title_sort social discount rate : estimates for nine latin american countries
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/06/9493488/social-discount-rate-estimates-nine-latin-american-countries
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6659
_version_ 1764400863973998592