Background
The Relative Income Hypothesis proposes that individuals’ consumption and savings behaviors are significantly influenced by their income relative to others in their community. This hypothesis challenges the notion that savings rates increase consistently with higher absolute incomes, suggesting instead that social and economic comparisons play a crucial role.
Historical Context
First introduced by James Duesenberry in the 1940s, the Relative Income Hypothesis emerged as a critique of the traditional Keynesian consumption function. Duesenberry argued that individuals aspire to maintain consumption levels justified by their social status and reference group, leading to spending patterns influenced by relative, rather than absolute, income.
Definitions and Concepts
- Relative Income: An individual’s income compared to the income of others within their reference group.
- Savings Behaviour: The way individuals allocate their disposable income for future use rather than consumption.
- Consumption: The use of goods and services by households.
- Real Income: Income of individuals or nations after adjusting for inflation.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
Classical economics focuses primarily on absolute income and assumes savings rates increase proportionately with increased income without accounting for social comparison dynamics.
Neoclassical Economics
Although Neoclassical economics incorporates elements of utility maximization, it often underplays the social and comparative elements central to the Relative Income Hypothesis.
Keynesian Economics
While Keynesian economic models emphasize income as a determinant of consumption, the Relative Income Hypothesis adds nuance by demonstrating that relative income statuses further complicate consumption and savings patterns.
Marxian Economics
Marxian economics, focusing on class struggle and distribution, may intersect with the Relative Income Hypothesis in discussions of societal status and class-based consumption standards.
Institutional Economics
Institutional economics includes broader societal factors in economic analysis and aligns well with the view that social and institutional factors shape saving and consumption behaviors.
Behavioral Economics
The Relative Income Hypothesis shares insights with behavioral economics, which examines how psychological factors and group behaviors influence economic decisions.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesian theory often includes broader socio-economic factors, aligning with the Relative Income Hypothesis by considering how relative standing within income distribution influences consumption and savings.
Austrian Economics
Austrian economics generally focuses more on individual behaviors and market dynamics, and less on relative income effects, though individual preferences shape consumption and savings as considered in the hypothesis.
Development Economics
In development economics, the insight that an individual’s financial decisions are shaped by their relative position can help explain diverse savings behaviors in different countries, regions, or community scales.
Monetarism
Monetarism largely focuses on the supply of money as a primary economic variable, though recognizing consumption patterns influenced by relative income may offer a nuanced perspective of saving behaviors.
Comparative Analysis
Comparing applications of the Relative Income Hypothesis shows diverse contexts where social comparison significantly impacts savings rates. For example, attitudes toward luxury goods, social pressure to maintain living standards, and cultural norms vary across regions, influencing how relative income effects manifest.
Case Studies
- Consumption in High-Income vs. Low-Income Neighborhoods: Studies reveal higher consumption levels in affluent areas despite equivalent real incomes.
- Cross-Country Comparisons: Differences in savings rates amongst countries can often be traced to wider disparities in relative incomes.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “Income, Saving, and the Theory of Consumer Behavior” by James S. Duesenberry.
- “The Relative Income Hypothesis and the Inverted-U Consumption Function” by Anthony B. Atkinson.
Related Terms with Definitions
- Permanent Income Hypothesis: Suggests that people choose consumption based on their long-term average income.
- Absolute Income Hypothesis: Proposes a direct relationship between absolute income and consumption without social comparison.
- Life-Cycle Hypothesis: The theory that individuals plan their consumption and savings behaviour over their lifetime.
