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Exploring BIS credit-to-GDP gap critiques: the Swiss case

Author

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  • Terhi Jokipii

    (Swiss National Bank)

  • Reto Nyffeler

    (Swiss National Bank)

  • Stéphane Riederer

    (Swiss National Bank)

Abstract

A growing body of literature has highlighted two important caveats to the credit-to-GDP gap as advocated by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The first relates to the approach used to normalise credit (i.e. dividing nominal credit by GDP). In this regard, critics have argued that GDP movements, that may or may not be relevant, run the risk of affecting a normalised measure of credit. The second relates to the use of the Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter to estimate the gap’s trend component. In this regard, critics have emphasised several measurement problems associated with using the HP filter. In this paper, we assess the relevance of these critiques for Switzerland. Our findings show that despite its drawbacks, the BIS gap is a reliable measure of excess credit in Switzerland. Alternatives do not provide clear advantages, rather they are considerably more complex to estimate and come with their own set of pitfalls. For policymaking purposes, the BIS gap’s signal should be complemented with narratives based on a broader set of credit metrics to ensure that an all-encompassing risk assessment is made.

Suggested Citation

  • Terhi Jokipii & Reto Nyffeler & Stéphane Riederer, 2021. "Exploring BIS credit-to-GDP gap critiques: the Swiss case," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 157(1), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sjecst:v:157:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1186_s41937-021-00073-1
    DOI: 10.1186/s41937-021-00073-1
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    Cited by:

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    2. Marek A. Dąbrowski & Dimas Mukhlas Widiantoro, 2023. "Effectiveness and conduct of macroprudential policy in Indonesia in 2003–2020: Evidence from the structural VAR models," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(3), pages 703-731, December.
    3. Jylhä, Petri & Lof, Matthijs, 2022. "Mind the Basel gap," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. Hessler, Andrew, 2023. "Unobserved components model estimates of credit cycles: Tests and predictions," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    5. Tihana Škrinjarić, 2023. "Credit-to-GDP Gap Estimates in Real Time: A Stable Indicator for Macroprudential Policy Making in Croatia," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 65(3), pages 582-614, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    BIS gap; Credit-to-GDP; Macroprudential policy; HP filter;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers
    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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