Vol. 56 No. 1 (2026)
Cover story: the “Price” of Prices

Dynamics of Price Flexibility: Theoretical Models, Empirical Analysis and Implications for Economic Policy

V.S. Shcherbakov
Ural Main Branch of the Bank of Russia; Omsk State University named after F.M. Dostoevsky
M.Yu. Yakovina
Omsk Division of the Siberian Main Branch of the Bank of Russia

Published 2026-01-29

Keywords

  • рrice flexibility; economic policy; transmission mechanism; economic shocks; price stability; price rigidity; inflation

How to Cite

1.
Shcherbakov В, Yakovina М. Dynamics of Price Flexibility: Theoretical Models, Empirical Analysis and Implications for Economic Policy. ECO [Internet]. 2026 Jan. 29 [cited 2026 Jan. 30];56(1):60-73. Available from: https://ecotrends.ru/index.php/eco/article/view/4940

Abstract

This paper offers a comprehensive investigation of price flexibility in the case of the Russian economy. The study constructs a composite price flexibility index and analyzes its dynamics for the period 2002–2025. It shows that the time series of the index exhibits both a long-term structural trend and short-term cyclical fluctuations closely associated with inflationary shocks. To formally assess the impact of these cycles on macroeconomic dynamics, the paper employs a Threshold Vector Autoregression (TVAR) model. This methodology allows us to identify two distinct regimes– “stable” and “turbulent” – in the economy depending on the deviation of price flexibility from its trend. Within this framework, the study examineshow short-term relationships between inflation, the policy rate, and the exchange rate change when transitioning between regimes.

References

  1. Семитуркин О.Н., Шевелев А.А., Квактун М.И. Анализ факторов гетерогенности и оценка структурных уровней инфляции в регионах России // Вопросы экономики. 2021. Т. 9. С. 51–68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32609/0042–8736–2021–9–51–68.
  2. Хабибуллин Р., Яковлева К. Что индекс «жестких цен» говорит об инфляционных ожиданиях в России? // Банк России. 2019. URL: https://www.cbr.ru/Content/Document/File/72238/analytic_note_040619_dip.pdf (дата обращения: 20.06.2024).
  3. Яковина М.Ю. Оценка жесткости цен на рынках товаров и услуг: результаты анализа реальных данных // XIII Экономические чтения: Глобальные вызовы и векторы регионального социально-экономического развития: Материалы Всероссийской научно-практической конференции, Томск, 23–25 ноября 2023 года. Томск: Национальный исследовательский Томский государственный университет, 2023. С. 217–219.
  4. Azariadis, C. (1975). Implicit Contracts and Underemployment Equilibria. Journal of Political Economy, 83(6), 1183–1202. https://doi.org/10.1086/260388
  5. Baily, M. N. (1974). Wages and Employment under Uncertain Demand. The Review of Economic Studies, 41(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.2307/2296397
  6. Blanchard, O.J., & Kiyotaki, N. (1987). Monopolistic Competition and the Effects of Aggregate Demand. American Economic Review, 77(4), 647–666. Retrieved from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aea/aecrev/v77y1987i4p647–66.html (accessed: 15.06.2024).
  7. Blinder, A.S. (1991). Why Are Prices Sticky? Preliminary Results from an Interview Study. https://doi.org/10.3386/W3646
  8. Bryan, M.F., & Meyer, B. (2010). Are Some Prices in the CPI More Forward Looking than Others? We Think So. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Economic Commentary.
  9. Calvo, G.A. (1983). Staggered Prices in a Utility-Maximizing Framework. Journal of Monetary Economics, 12(3), 383–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304–3932(83)90060–0
  10. Galí, J. (2011). The Return of the Wage Phillips Curve. Journal of the European Economic Association, 9(3), 436–461. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1542–4774.2011.01023.x
  11. Hester, D.D., & Okun, A.M. (1982). Prices and Quantities: A Macroeconomic Analysis. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 14(2), 287. https://doi.org/10.2307/1991645
  12. Keynes, J. M. (1936). The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. Macmillan Cambridge University Press.
  13. Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk. Econometrica, 47(2), 263–291. https://doi.org/10.2307/1914185
  14. Mankiw, N.G. (1985). Small Menu Costs and Large Business Cycles: A Macroeconomic Model of Monopoly. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 100(2), 529–538. https://doi.org/10.2307/1885395
  15. Mankiw, N.G., & Reis, R. (2002). Sticky Information versus Sticky Prices: A Proposal to Replace the New Keynesian Phillips Curve. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 117(4), 1295–1328. https://doi.org/10.1162/003355302320935034
  16. Nakamura, E., & Steinsson, J. (2013). Price Rigidity: Microeconomic Evidence and Macroeconomic Implications. Annual Review of Economics, 5, 133–163.
  17. Pasten, E., Schoenle, R., & Weber, M. (2017). Price Rigidities and the Granular Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3022193
  18. Pasten, E., Schoenle, R., & Weber, M. (2017). Price Rigidity and the Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations. NBER Working Paper Series, No. 23750. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w23750 (accessed: 12.06.2024).
  19. Recherche, D.E., Dhyne, E., Alvarez, L.J., Le Bihan, H., Veronese, G., Dias, D., Hoffmann, J., Jonker, N., Lünnemann, P., Rumler, F., & Vilmunen, J. (2005). Price Setting in the Euro Area: Some Stylized Facts from Individual Consumer Price Data. Banque de France. Retrieved from www.banque-france.fr (accessed: 18.06.2024).
  20. Rybacek, V. (2015). Comment and Analysis: Price Rigidities and the Market Process. The Review of Social and Economic Issues, 1(2), 1–26. Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/abstract=2737375 (accessed: 13.06.2024).
  21. Sheshinski, E., & Weiss, Y. (1977). Inflation and Costs of Price Adjustment. The Review of Economic Studies, 44(2), 287. https://doi.org/10.2307/2297067
  22. Sims C.A. (2003). Implications of Rational Inattention. Journal of Monetary Economics, 50(3). Рр. 665–690. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304–3932(03)00029–1
  23. Singh, G. (2018). A Macroeconomic Model with Price Flexibility. South Asian Journal of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, 7(1), 37–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/2277978718760069
  24. Taylor, J.B. (1980). Aggregate Dynamics and Staggered Contracts. Journal of Political Economy, 88(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1086/260845
  25. Woodford, M. (2003). Interest and Prices: Foundations of a Theory of Monetary Policy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.