The Macroeconomics of the Greek Depression
126 Pages Posted: 24 May 2019 Last revised: 13 Jan 2023
There are 3 versions of this paper
The Macroeconomics of the Greek Depression
The Macroeconomics of the Greek Depression
The Macroeconomics of the Greek Depression
Date Written: January 12, 2023
Abstract
Greece experienced a boom until 2007, followed by a collapse of unprecedented magnitude and persistence. We assess the sources of the boom and the bust, using a rich estimated dynamic general equilibrium model. External demand and government consumption fueled the boom in production, whereas transfers fueled the boom in consumption. Different from the standard narrative, wages and prices declined substantially during the bust. Tax policy accounts for the largest fraction of the bust in production, whereas uninsurable risk accounts for the bust in consumption and wages. We assess how the composition of fiscal adjustment and bailouts affected the crisis.
JEL Classification: E20, E32, E44, E62, F41
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation