The Principle of Purchasing Power Parity

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Compare and contrast the absolute and relative versions of the principle of purchasing power parity (PPP) and evaluate the principle’s practical usefulness.

Definition of Purchasing power parity

PPP is an economic theory that states that the price of common goods between two different countries compared should be equal when converted in to a common currency.
PPP ratio presents two countries identical products or group of products relative price level difference. The basis for PPP is “law of one price”

The law of one price simply states that, in the presence of a competitive market structure and the absence of transport cost and other barriers to trade, identical products which are sold in different markets will sell at the same price when expressed in terms of a common currency (Keith Pilbeam fourth edition, p.126).

The law is mathematically expressed as follow:
PAFN = E x PRs

In above formula PAFN is the price of product in Afghani, PRS is the price of product in Pakistani Rupees and E is the exchange rate between Afghani and Pakistani Rupees.

For example, if price of an identical TV in Afghanistan is 1000 AFN and it cost 2000 Rupees in Pakistan then according to law of price the exchange rate should be 0.5 and if the exchange rate were higher which is 0.6 then Pakistani trader will start buying the TV from Afghanistan and trade it to Pakistan since an arbitrage profit opportunity arises and the traders will continue to trade for profit by selling Pakistani Rupees and Purchasing Afghani which arises an increase in demand for Afghani and leads to depreciation of Pakistan Rupees, this will continue until the point the arbitrage profit opportunities are eliminated, the market forces demand and supply took hold and price c...

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...omic event that are sudden and causes a relative change in price level.

Studies found that relative PPP holds better in long run than in short run

In General studies persist that PPP is not theory of exchange rate since exchange rate is variable to other factors than price. Price and exchange rate are endogenous variable.

Purchasing Power Parity used under three concepts to explain identical goods should cost the same in two different countries when converted in common currency. The law of one price relates exchange rate to price of individual goods. The absolute PPP relates exchange rate to general price level and relative PPP relates exchange rate to inflation rate.

Reference

Author’s SURNAME, INITIALS., Year of publication. Title. Edition (if not the first). Place of publication: Publisher.

Reference to web pages /sites and e-books/ e-journals

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