How Large is the Wealth Effect on Hong Kong¡¦s Consumption? Evidence from a Habit Formation Model of Consumption

This paper first investigates whether there is a cointegration relationship between Hong Kong¡¦s consumption and wealth using the latest cointegration tests that allow for structural breaks. Our tests show there is only limited empirical support for the existence of a cointegration relationship between consumption and wealth (including both housing and financial wealth). These test results thus cast doubt on the validity of the estimates based on the cointegration result. We then estimate a structural equation linking consumption and wealth derived from a habit formation consumption model. Our estimates show that the short run and the long run marginal propensities to consume out of a one Hong Kong dollar increase in total wealth are about 0.14 and 0.6 cents, respectively. These values are much smaller than those previously estimated using the cointegration approach. The housing wealth effect in Hong Kong is also relatively small compared to estimates for the United States obtained using a similar habit formation specification.