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Forecasting Aggregates by Disaggregates

Author

Listed:
  • Kirstin Hubrich
  • David F. Hendry

    (Research Department European Central Bank)

Abstract

We explore whether forecasting an aggregate variable using information on its disaggregate components can improve the prediction mean squared error over forecasting the disaggregates and aggregating those forecasts, or using only aggregate information in forecasting the aggregate. An implication of a general theory of prediction is that the first should outperform the alternative methods to forecasting the aggregate in population. However, forecast models are based on sample information. The data generation process and the forecast model selected might differ. We show how changes in collinearity between regressors affect the bias-variance trade-off in model selection and how the criterion used to select variables in the forecasting model affects forecast accuracy. We investigate why forecasting the aggregate using information on its disaggregate components improves forecast accuracy of the aggregate forecast of Euro area inflation in some situations, but not in others.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirstin Hubrich & David F. Hendry, 2005. "Forecasting Aggregates by Disaggregates," Computing in Economics and Finance 2005 270, Society for Computational Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:sce:scecf5:270
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Byron Botha & Rulof Burger & Kevin Kotzé & Neil Rankin & Daan Steenkamp, 2023. "Big data forecasting of South African inflation," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 149-188, July.
    2. Colin Bermingham & Antonello D’Agostino, 2014. "Understanding and forecasting aggregate and disaggregate price dynamics," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 765-788, March.
    3. Carlomagno, Guillermo, 2014. "The pairwise approach to model a large set of disaggregates with common trends," DES - Working Papers. Statistics and Econometrics. WS ws141309, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Estadística.
    4. Kholodilin Konstantin Arkadievich & Siliverstovs Boriss, 2006. "On the Forecasting Properties of the Alternative Leading Indicators for the German GDP: Recent Evidence," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 226(3), pages 234-259, June.
    5. Michael P. Clements & David F. Hendry, 2005. "Guest Editors’ Introduction: Information in Economic Forecasting," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 67(s1), pages 713-753, December.
    6. Kirstin Hubrich & Kenneth D. West, 2010. "Forecast evaluation of small nested model sets," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(4), pages 574-594.
    7. Hendry, David F. & Hubrich, Kirstin, 2011. "Combining Disaggregate Forecasts or Combining Disaggregate Information to Forecast an Aggregate," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 29(2), pages 216-227.
    8. Guillaume Chevillon, 2007. "Direct Multi‐Step Estimation And Forecasting," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 746-785, September.
    9. Carlomagno, Guillermo, 2016. "Discovering common trends in a large set of disaggregates: statistical procedures and their properties," DES - Working Papers. Statistics and Econometrics. WS ws1519, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Estadística.
    10. Helmut Lütkepohl, 2010. "Forecasting Aggregated Time Series Variables: A Survey," OECD Journal: Journal of Business Cycle Measurement and Analysis, OECD Publishing, Centre for International Research on Economic Tendency Surveys, vol. 2010(2), pages 1-26.
    11. Mahmut Gunay, 2016. "Forecasting Turkish GDP Growth : Bottom-Up vs Direct?," CBT Research Notes in Economics 1622, Research and Monetary Policy Department, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.
    12. Carlomagno, Guillermo, 2015. "Forecasting a large set of disaggregates with common trends and outliers," DES - Working Papers. Statistics and Econometrics. WS ws1518, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Estadística.
    13. Pino, Gabriel, 2008. "Forecasting Spanish inflation using information from different sectors and geographical areas," DES - Working Papers. Statistics and Econometrics. WS ws080101, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Estadística.
    14. Moosa, Imad A. & Vaz, John, 2018. "Direct and Indirect Forecasting of Cross Exchange Rates," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 71(2), pages 173-190.
    15. Giacomo Sbrana, 2007. "Testing for Model Selection in Predicting Aggregate Variables," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 66(1), pages 3-28, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Disaggregate information; predictability; forecast model selection; VAR; factor models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation

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