The Debt-Inflation Channel of the German (Hyper-)Inflation

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Brunnermeier, Markus K., Correia, Sergio, Luck, Stephan, Verner, Emil, Zimmermann, Tom
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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_version_ 1866914038877782016
author Brunnermeier, Markus K.
Correia, Sergio
Luck, Stephan
Verner, Emil
Zimmermann, Tom
author_facet Brunnermeier, Markus K.
Correia, Sergio
Luck, Stephan
Verner, Emil
Zimmermann, Tom
contents This paper studies how a large increase in the price level is transmitted to the real economy through firm balance sheets. Using newly digitized macro- and micro-level data from the German inflation of 1919-1923, we show that inflation led to a large reduction in real debt burdens and bankruptcies. Firms with higher nominal liabilities at the onset of inflation experienced a larger decline in interest expenses, a relative increase in their equity values, and higher employment during the inflation. The results are consistent with real effects of a debt-inflation channel that operates even when prices and wages are flexible.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_13296
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Debt-Inflation Channel of the German (Hyper-)Inflation
Brunnermeier, Markus K.
Correia, Sergio
Luck, Stephan
Verner, Emil
Zimmermann, Tom
General Economics
Economics
This paper studies how a large increase in the price level is transmitted to the real economy through firm balance sheets. Using newly digitized macro- and micro-level data from the German inflation of 1919-1923, we show that inflation led to a large reduction in real debt burdens and bankruptcies. Firms with higher nominal liabilities at the onset of inflation experienced a larger decline in interest expenses, a relative increase in their equity values, and higher employment during the inflation. The results are consistent with real effects of a debt-inflation channel that operates even when prices and wages are flexible.
title The Debt-Inflation Channel of the German (Hyper-)Inflation
topic General Economics
Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.13296