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Speaker: Mun S. HO
Dr. Mun S. HO, Visiting Scholar, Harvard-China Project; Visiting Fellow, Resources for the Future
Sponsored by China Project, Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Abstract: China’s rapid growth has been accompanied by rising income inequality. However, it may be more important to measure consumption inequality rather than income since “we don’t eat paychecks.” This project has two main aims: the first aim is to measure consumption in a way that recognizes differences in household characteristics so we can more accurately measure material welfare of China on average, and to measure how consumption inequality across regions and income groups has changed. The second aim is to construct a consumption function that can be used to forecast future consumption trends and to study the impact of policies. Energy and environmental policies change prices and we need to know how households respond to changes in prices and incomes.