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Short and long term estimate of the Keynesian consumption function for Ecuador: Period 1950-2014

Abstract:

Macroeconomic theories about private consumption are based on Keynes' proposal, according to which consumer spending depends on current disposable income. The objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between private consumption expenditure and disposable income, in per capita terms, for Ecuador in the period 1950-2014. The investigation is of descriptive correlational type, and the data used come from secondary sources. Linear models of the Keynesian consumption function were adjusted for the short and long term response of private consumption expenditure per capita to changes in per capita personal income. The results show a significant effect of per capita personal income on private consumption per capita, in particular 1% of income growth is associated with an expected variation in consumption of between 0,46% and 0,52%, while that in an error correction model the long-term imbalances between the variables are corrected at a statistically significant speed, but not as fast in terms of their magnitude. The main conclusion is that according to the evidence there is a robust short and long term relationship between consumption and disposable income according to the Keynesian framework, which would influence any fiscal policy measure used to stabilize the cycle.