Death, Population Growth, Productivity Growth and Debt Neutrality

30 Pages Posted: 5 Jan 2007 Last revised: 16 Jan 2022

See all articles by Willem H. Buiter

Willem H. Buiter

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); Columbia University; Independent Economic Adviser; Independent

Date Written: September 1986

Abstract

Debt neutrality is said to occur if, given a program for public spending on current goods and services over time, the real equilibrium of the economy (private consumption, investment, relative prices, etc.) is independent of the pattern of government borrowing and lump-sum taxation over time. The paper brings together work of Blanchard on individual uncertain lifetimes and debt neutrality and Weil on population growth and debt neutrality. It is shown that there will be debt neutrality if and only if the sum of the rate of growth of population and the individual probability of death equals zero. If this condition holds, non-zero rates of growth of labor productivity will not destroy debt neutrality.

Suggested Citation

Buiter, Willem H., Death, Population Growth, Productivity Growth and Debt Neutrality (September 1986). NBER Working Paper No. w2027, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=344820

Willem H. Buiter (Contact Author)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.CESifo.de

Columbia University ( email )

420 West 118th Street
New York, NY
United States

Independent Economic Adviser ( email )

Independent ( email )

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