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The general price level is a hypothetical measure of overall prices for some set of goods and services (the consumer basket), in an economy or monetary union during a given interval (generally one day), normalized relative to some base set. Typically, the general price level is approximated with a daily price index, normally the Daily CPI.
The Global price level, as reported by the World Bank, is a way to compare the cost of living between different countries. It's measured using Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs), which help us understand how much money is needed to buy the same things in different places. Price level indexes (PLIs), with the world average set at 100, are ...
As a general rule, the more similar the price structure between countries, the more valid the PPP comparison. PPP levels will also vary based on the formula used to calculate price matrices. Possible formulas include GEKS-Fisher, Geary-Khamis, IDB, and the superlative method. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
The price in the base year is normalized to 100. For example, for computer hardware, we could define a "unit" to be a computer with a specific level of processing power, memory, hard drive space and so on. A price deflator of 200 means that the current-year price of this computing power is twice its base-year price - price inflation.
If for years 1 and 2 (possibly a span of 20 years apart), the nominal wage and price level P of goods are respectively nominal wage rate: $10 in year 1 and $16 in year 2 price level: 1.00 in year 1 and 1.333 in year 2, then real wages using year 1 as the base year are respectively: $10 (= $10/1.00) in year 1 and $12 (= $16/1.333) in year 2.
Price indices have several potential uses. For particularly broad indices, the index can be said to measure the economy's general price level or cost of living. More narrow price indices can help producers with business plans and pricing. Sometimes, they can be useful in helping to guide investment. Some notable price indices include:
A price index aggregates various combinations of base period prices (), later period prices (), base period quantities (), and later period quantities (). Price index numbers are usually defined either in terms of (actual or hypothetical) expenditures (expenditure = price * quantity) or as different weighted averages of price relatives ( p t ...
When the information needed to calculate prices is inadequate for any reason, it becomes susceptible to swindles, confidence tricks and fraud [29] which may be difficult to detect or combat, insofar as the trading parties have to make assumptions in interpreting price information where any "misunderstanding" is their own responsibility. The ...