Inflation: What Is Inflation?Printer friendly version (PDF format)Inflation is defined as a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services. It is measured as an annual percentage increase. As inflation rises, every dollar you own buys a smaller percentage of a good or service.
The value of a dollar does not stay constant when there is inflation. The value of a dollar is observed in terms of purchasing power, which is the real, tangible goods that money can buy. When inflation goes up, there is a decline in the purchasing power of money. For example, if the inflation rate is 2% annually, then theoretically a $1 pack of gum will cost $1.02 in a year. After inflation, your dollar can't buy the same goods it could beforehand.
There are several variations on inflation:
Deflation is when the general level of prices is falling. This is the opposite of inflation.
Hyperinflation is unusually rapid inflation. In extreme cases, this can lead to the breakdown of a nation's monetary system. One of the most notable examples of hyperinflation occurred in Germany in 1923, when prices rose 2,500% in one month!
Stagflation is the combination of high unemployment and economic stagnation with inflation. This happened in industrialized countries during the 1970s, when a bad economy was combined with OPEC raising oil prices.
In recent years, most developed countries have attempted to sustain an inflation rate of 2-3%.
Causes of Inflation
Economists wake up in the morning hoping for a chance to debate the causes of inflation. There is no one cause that's universally agreed upon, but at least two theories are generally accepted:
Demand-Pull Inflation - This theory can be summarized as "too much money chasing too few goods". In other words, if demand is growing faster than supply, prices will increase. This usually occurs in growing economies.
Cost-Push Inflation - When companies' costs go up, they need to increase prices to maintain their profit margins. Increased costs can include things such as wages, taxes, or increased costs of imports.
Costs of Inflation
Almost everyone thinks inflation is evil, but it isn't necessarily so. Inflation affects different people in different ways. It also depends on whether inflation is anticipated or unanticipated. If the inflation rate corresponds to what the majority of people are expecting (anticipated inflation), then we can compensate and the cost isn't high. For example, banks can vary their interest rates and workers can negotiate contracts that include automatic wage hikes as the price level goes up.
Problems arise when there is unanticipated inflation:
Creditors lose and debtors gain if the lender does not anticipate inflation correctly. For those who borrow, this is similar to getting an interest-free loan.
Uncertainty about what will happen next makes corporations and consumers less likely to spend. This hurts economic output in the long run.
People living off a fixed-income, such as retirees, see a decline in their purchasing power and, consequently, their standard of living.
The entire economy must absorb repricing costs ("menu costs") as price lists, labels, menus and more have to be updated.
If the inflation rate is greater than that of other countries, domestic products become less competitive.
People like to complain about prices going up, but they often ignore the fact that wages should be rising as well. The question shouldn't be whether inflation is rising, but whether it's rising at a quicker pace than your wages.
Finally, inflation is a sign that an economy is growing. In some situations, little inflation (or even deflation) can be just as bad as high inflation. The lack of inflation may be an indication that the economy is weakening. As you can see, it's not so easy to label inflation as either good or bad - it depends on the overall economy as well as your personal situation.
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通货膨胀率:什么是通货膨胀?打印机友好版本( PDF格式)通货膨胀的定义是持续增加的一般水平的商品和服务的价格。它是衡量一个年度增加的百分比。通货膨胀上升,每1美元购买了你自己的所占比例较小的产品或服务。
价值的美元不留常数时,通货膨胀。价值一美元的角度观察的购买力,这是真实的,有形货物,金钱可以买到。当通货膨胀率上升,有下降的货币购买力。例如,如果通货膨胀率为2 %的年增长率,那么在理论上一元包口香糖将花费1.02美元,在一年内。扣除通货膨胀后,您的美元也买不到同样的商品可以提前。
有几个变化对通货膨胀:
通货紧缩是指一般价格水平的下降。这是相反的通货膨胀。
恶性通货膨胀是异常迅速的通货膨胀。在极端情况下,这会导致崩溃的一个国家的货币制度。其中最突出的例子恶性通货膨胀发生在德国于1923年,当价格上涨了2500 % ,在一个月!
滞胀是相结合的高失业率和经济停滞与通货膨胀。这发生在工业化国家在20世纪70年代,当经济不好是结合欧佩克提高石油价格。
近年来,大多数发达国家试图保持通货膨胀率为2-3 % 。
通货膨胀的原因
经济学家唤醒上午希望有机会辩论的原因通货膨胀。不存在的原因之一是普遍商定,但至少有两个理论是普遍接受的:
需求拉动通货膨胀-这种理论可以概括为: “太多的钱追逐太少的商品” 。换句话说,如果需求增长速度超过供应,价格将有所增加。这通常发生在经济增长。
成本推动通货膨胀-当企业成本上升,他们需要提高价格以维持其利润率。增加的费用可以包括的东西,如工资,税收,或增加进口成本的。
费用通货膨胀
几乎所有人都认为通货膨胀是邪恶的,但它并不一定是这样。通货膨胀的影响不同的人以不同的方式。它也取决于是否通货膨胀预期或意料之外。如果通货膨胀率相对应的是大多数人预计(预计通货膨胀) ,那么我们就可以补偿的成本不高。例如,银行可以改变其利率和工人可以谈判的合同,其中包括自动工资上涨的物价水平上升。
出现问题时,意想不到的通货膨胀:
债权人和债务人失去获得贷款,如果不预期的通货膨胀正确。对于那些谁借款,这是类似于得到无息贷款。
不确定性未来会发生什么事让企业和消费者不太可能花费。这伤害了经济产出的长期发展。
人民生活从固定收入,如退休人员,见下降的购买力,因此,他们的生活水平。
整个经济必须吸收重的费用( “菜单成本” ) ,作为价格表,标签,菜单和更多的更新。
如果通货膨胀率大于其他国家,成为国内产品竞争力较差。
人们喜欢抱怨价格上升,但他们往往忽略了一个事实,应该增加工资,以及。这个问题不应当仅仅是通货膨胀率开始上升,但无论是增长较快的速度比你的工资。
最后,通胀是一个迹象,表明了经济增长。在某些情况下,几乎没有通货膨胀(或什至通货紧缩)可以一样糟糕的高通货膨胀。缺乏通货膨胀可能表明美国经济正在减弱。正如你所看到的,这不是那么容易的标签通货膨胀作为好消息还是坏消息-这取决于整体经济以及您的个人情况。
Increases in government taxes and fees can lead to inflation (especially when businesses are taxed). When the cost of business goes up, product prices go up. When prices go up your income effectively goes down. Then you have to work harder or find a better job. Or hope that your employer will give you a raise.
Which then makes the business costs go up and so prices go up and so on.
Also when your personal income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, auto registration fees, etc. increase you are forced to live on less or hit the boss up for a raise.
If you get your raise (and several of your co-workers also are given raises) the cost of doing business has gone up. The business will then pass the extra costs on to their customers - inflation.
Inflation can also be caused by scarcity. If there are only a 10,000 Beanie-Babies, "Tickle-Me-Elmos", "Chicken-Dance-Elmos", or what ever the current toy-craze is, and there are 100,000 people that want one, the price is going to go up.
If mad-cow disease causes cattle ranchers to destroy large portions of their herds and there is less beef on the market, the price of beef will go up.
If interest rates go up, inflation can also result. If it costs more to borrow money, the cost of doing business has gone up and so will product and service prices.