Explaining Inflation Differentials in the Euro Area: Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Data Model

We try to explain the differences in euro area countries’ inflation rates over the period 1999-2006, using a dynamic panel data model. Our results suggest that euro area inflation differentials are partly due to differences in the exposure to exchange rate deviations and oil price shocks. They are also the reflection of remaining cyclical asymmetries amplified by a rather high degree of inflation persistence. On the other hand, “convergence factors”, namely the price convergence process and the Balassa-Samuelson effects, do not seem to have played a key role in driving inflation differentials in the EMU since 1999. We conclude by emphasizing the potential consequences of such long-lasting inflation differentials on diverging trends in relative competitiveness of the EMU member countries.