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Measuring Saving Rates in New Zealand: An Update

Appendix G: Adjusting the current account and the external debt for inflation[37]

Consider the national accounting identity:

Y = C + I + (X - M) (F1)

where Y is national income, C includes both private and public consumption, I is total investment and X and M are exports and imports respectively.

Let S be measured savings and be offshore interest payments on the external debt so that:

C = Y - S - Rn (F2)

Substituting (D2) into (D1) and rearranging yields:

S - I = X - M - Rn (F3)

Now the nominal interest payment comprises a real and an inflation component so that:

Rn = Rr + Ri (F4)

Substituting (D4) into (D3) yields:

S = X - M - Rr - Ri + I (F5)

Consider the case in which inflation is zero, so that there is no capital repayment term Ri; then:

S* = X - M - Rr + I (F6)

It follows that the difference in savings with and without inflation is

S* - S = Ri (F7)

We now turn to the impact of inflation on the measured net external liabilities (NIIP).

The standard identity for the current account balance is:

CAB = S - I (F8)

Substituting (D5) for S yields:

CAB = X - M - Rr - Ri (F9)

which in the absence of inflation becomes

CAB* = X - M - Rr (F10)

so that the difference becomes

CAB* - CAB = Ri (F11)

Finally starting from the following identity for the stock of foreign liabilities:

NIIPt = NIIPt-1 + CABt-1 (F12)

Substituting (D9) into (D12) yields

NIIPt = NIIPt-1 +(X - M - Rr) t-1 - Rit-1 (F13)

So that

NIIPt = NIIPt-1 - Rit-1 + CAB*t-1 (F14)

In other words the observed level of net foreign liabilities will overstated by an amount equal to the implicit capital repayment (the inflationary component) of Rit-1.

Appendix Table G.1 - Derivation of adjusted NIIP
Total NZ investment abroad Direct investment abroad (equity capital) Portfolio investment abroad: equity securities Total foreign investment in New Zealand Direct investment in NZ (equity capital) Portfolio investment in NZ: equity securities NIIP NIIP (% GDP)  NIIP excluding equity
  (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)
1989 7,201 5,263  197 51,346 8,412 1,378 -44,145 -63.1 -39,815
1990 14,756 7,585  248 60,484 12,293 1,561 -45,728 -61.8 -39,707
1991 20,897 13,108  461 68,357 13,294 1,766 -47,460 -62.9 -45,969
1992 22,501 13,090  917 74,803 17,698  855 -52,302 -69.5 -47,756
1993 18,962 12,425 1,128 82,854 21,244 2,473 -63,892 -82.5 -53,728
1994 23,474 13,242 1,482 90,845 27,220 1,451 -67,371 -80.6 -53,424
1995 24,935 14,353 1,888 95,994 31,966 2,283 -71,060 -79.5 -53,051
1996 34,742 18,812 6,497  105,603 40,695  425 -70,860 -74.3 -55,050
1997 33,096 18,838 7,040  112,966 43,641 1,503 -79,870 -79.8 -60,604
1998 34,733 19,340 8,337  124,056 50,618  376 -89,323 -86.0 -66,006
1999 40,121 30,024 8,367  127,261 50,632  453 -87,140 -82.5 -74,446
2000 48,366 31,449 13,416  135,451 50,969  817 -87,084 -77.7 -80,164
2001 85,026 17,031 15,264  172,549 38,153 9,620 -87,523 -73.9 -72,045
2002 94,807 14,556 28,843  179,153 39,459 9,675 -84,345 -66.3 -78,611
2003 90,684 15,970 22,590  180,565 40,348 11,251 -89,880 -67.1 -76,842
2004 96,666 16,362 29,874  197,192 43,759 14,700 -100,526 -70.2 -88,303
2005  102,296 16,555 32,382  212,859 44,385 16,631 -110,562 -72.2 -98,484
2006  115,969 15,635 42,802  233,657 45,179 17,435 -117,688 -72.8 -113,511
2007  123,820 16,694 44,747  252,080 49,759 16,774 -128,261 -75.5 -123,168
2008  136,308 17,363 44,395  272,914 48,766 13,569 -136,606 -74.2 -136,029
2009  136,923 21,164 32,535  293,932 47,569 10,038 -157,009 -84.6 -153,101
2010  137,430 18,569 43,111  288,121 49,486 12,654 -150,691 -79.4 -150,231
2011  166,972 19,794 46,221  299,325 48,594 13,533 -132,353 -66.7 -136,241
2012  158,500 17,941 43,043  304,139 53,649 12,549 -145,639 -70.7 -140,425

(1) 1992-2012: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S5AAA
1989-1991: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S4AD1

(2) 1992-2012: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S4AD1A1
1989-1991: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S4AD1

(3) 1992-2012: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S5AAA21
1989-1991: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S4AD1B1

(4) 1992-2012: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S5ALA
1989-1991: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S4AC1

(5) 1992-2012: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S5ALA11
1989-1991: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S4AC1A1

(6) 1992-2012: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S5ALA21
1989-1991: Statistics New Zealand:IIPA.S4AC1B1

(7) 1992-2012: (1)-(4)

(8) 1989-2012: (7)/(8) from Appendix B

(9) 1989-2012: [(1)-((2)+(3))]-[(4)-((5)+(6))]

Appendix Table G.2 - The level of net foreign liabilities with and without inflation
NIIP excluding equity (sign inverted) Inflation Inflation adjustment NIIP with inflation adjustment Net national saving Net national saving to GDP ratio Adjusted net national saving Adjusted net national saving to GDP ratio
  (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
1989 39,815 4% 2,526 37,289 3,578 5.1 6,104 8.7
1990 39,707 8% 1,762 37,945 3,160 4.3 4,922 6.7
1991 45,969 3% 3,505 42,464 1,387 1.8 4,892 6.5
1992 47,756 1% 1,345 46,411 -1,382 -1.8 -37 0.0
1993 53,728 1% 522 53,206 -802 -1.0 -280 -0.4
1994 53,424 1% 701 52,723 1,932 2.3 2,633 3.2
1995 53,051 5% 580 52,471 3,264 3.6 3,844 4.3
1996 55,050 2% 2,522 52,528 3,780 4.0 6,302 6.6
1997 60,604 1% 1,212 59,392 2,775 2.8 3,987 4.0
1998 66,006 2% 740 65,266 2,945 2.8 3,685 3.5
1999 74,446 0% 1,237 73,209 2,191 2.1 3,428 3.2
2000 80,164 2% -291 80,455 1,928 1.7 1,637 1.5
2001 72,045 3% 1,441 70,604 4,129 3.5 5,570 4.7
2002 78,611 3% 2,543 76,068 7,230 5.7 9,773 7.7
2003 76,842 1% 2,116 74,726 7,125 5.3 9,241 6.9
2004 88,303 2% 1,306 86,997 7,955 5.6 9,261 6.5
2005 98,484 3% 2,332 96,152 7,333 4.8 9,665 6.3
2006 113,511 4% 3,232  110,279 3,776 2.3 7,008 4.3
2007 123,168 2% 4,901  118,267 1,609 0.9 6,510 3.8
2008 136,029 4% 2,721  133,308 3,786 2.1 6,507 3.5
2009 153,101 2% 6,154  146,947 -2,049 -1.1 4,105 2.2
2010 150,231 2% 2,832  147,399 3,251 1.7 6,083 3.2
2011 136,241 5% 2,269  133,972 2,759 1.4 5,028 2.5
2012 140,425 1% 7,411  133,014 1,428 0.7 8,839 4.3

(1) 1989-2012: Statistics New Zealand, authors' estimate.

(2) 1989-2012: Statistics New Zealand: CPI All groups CPI009AA

(3) 1989-2012: (3)=(2)[t-1]*(1)

(4) 1989-2012: (4)=(1)-(3)

(5) 1989-2012: Statistics New Zealand: SNDA.SG00NAC00B08

(6) 1989-2012: Statistics New Zealand

(7) 1989-2012: (6)+(3)

(8) 1989-2012: (7)/(8) from Appendix B

Appendix Table G.3 - The level of household saving with and without inflation ($m)
Net debt Inflation adjustment Household saving Adjusted household saving Adjusted household saving rate
  (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
1978 -1863 -261 212 -49 -1%
1979 -2058 -252 329 76 1%
1980 -2187 -272 441 170 1%
1981 -2138 -383 412 29 0%
1982 -2350 -354 552 198 1%
1983 -3184 -541 458 -82 0%
1984 -3648 -303 354 51 0%
1985 -4242 -200 378 178 1%
1986 -3955 -657 371 -286 -1%
1987 -3235 -337 907 570 2%
1988 -1464 -277 2207 1930 5%
1989 614 39 1697 1736 4%
1990 2273 101 1368 1469 3%
1991 2977 227 643 870 2%
1992 4484 126 2064 2190 5%
1993 6207 60 407 467 1%
1994 8503 112 -14 98 0%
1995 10773 118 -1134 -1016 -2%
1996 13670 626 -1408 -782 -1%
1997 17758 355 -1473 -1118 -2%
1998 19583 219 -1289 -1070 -2%
1999 25754 428 -2010 -1582 -3%
2000 28893 -105 691 586 1%
2001 30358 607 -3102 -2495 -4%
2002 33270 1076 -2731 -1655 -2%
2003 42194 1162 -6835 -5673 -8%
2004 51409 760 -5899 -5139 -7%
2005 61350 1453 -5145 -3692 -4%
2006 69074 1967 -7112 -5145 -6%
2007 78704 3132 -6580 -3448 -4%
2008 77126 1543 -3660 -2117 -2%
2009 80295 3228 -4232 -1004 -1%
2010 79591 1500 -564 936 1%
2011 74277 1237 177 1414 1%

(1) 1978-2011: RBNZ Household assets and liabilities; authors' calculations
Deposits less housing and consumer loans

(2) 1978-2011: Inflation[t-1]*(3)

(3) 1978-2011: Statistics New Zealand: SNDA.SG00NAC00B08

(4) 1978-2011: (5)+(4)

(5) 1978-2011: (6)/(8) from Appendix B.

Notes

  • [37]The initial part of this appendix relating to savings draws on O'Mara and Walshaw (1992), Appendix 1, p.64.
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