Arbeitspapier

A monthly consumption indicator for Germany based on internet search query data

In this study we introduce a new monthly indicator for private consumption in Germany based on search query time series provided by Google Trends. The indicator is based on unobserved factors extracted from a set of consumption-related search categories of the Google Trends application Insights for Search. The predictive performance of the indicator is assessed in real time relative to the European Commission's consumer confidence indicator and the European Commission's retail trade confidence indicator. In out-of-sample nowcasting experiments the Google indicator outperformed the surveybased indicators. In comparison to the other indicators, the new indicator also provided substantial predictive information on consumption beyond that already captured in other macroeconomic variables.

ISBN
978-3-86788-239-2
Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: Ruhr Economic Papers ; No. 208

Classification
Wirtschaft
Forecasting Models; Simulation Methods
Macroeconomics: Consumption; Saving; Wealth
Macroeconomics: Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment: Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
Subject
Google Trends
Private Consumption, Forecasting
Consumer Sentiment Indicator

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Schmidt, Torsten
Vosen, Simeon
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI)
(where)
Essen
(when)
2010

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Schmidt, Torsten
  • Vosen, Simeon
  • Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI)

Time of origin

  • 2010

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