Consumption Expenditure Research Articles

Impact of the total expenditure shocks on food security: VAR model

Purpose. This study examines the causal relationship between total expenditures and food availability and identifies their shocks in food availability in Saudi Arabia. Methodology / approach. The study uses a multivariate modeling technique of the Vector Autoregression (VAR) and its environment, the Granger Causality Test, Forecast Error Variance Decomposition (FEVD), and Impulse Response Function (IRF) for the observation period of 2000–2020 in Saudi Arabia. Results. The results of the Granger causality show that investment expenditure has a significant impact on food availability in Saudi Arabia. However, consumption and government expenditures do affect food availability in Saudi Arabia, but have an indirect effect. The Impulse Response Functions show that the shocks of the selected variables require a long period to reach the long-run equilibrium level and the greatest response of the food availability variable is explained by its own shock and investment expenditure shocks. Originality / scientific novelty. The novelty of this study is related to the investigation of a new model and focus on a new perspective. While traditional food security research has mostly concentrated on agricultural production, availability, and accessibility of food, as well as nutrition and health outcomes factors, this research conveys a new dimension by highlighting the link between total expenditure and food security. Their contribution expands the scope of food security research and highlights the impact of recognising the role of total expenditure in implementing and supporting food security at the household level. Practical value / implications. It is important to design strategies and develop a budgeting plan to allocate a reasonable portion of total consumption and government expenditures on food items. Adding, regularly reviewing, and adapting the budgeting plan based on new challenges, and evolving priorities are essential to address the dynamic nature of food security.

Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Trends of Mpox in Mainland China: Spatiotemporal Ecological Comparison Study.

The World Health Organization declared mpox an international public health emergency. Since January 1, 2022, China has been ranked among the top 10 countries most affected by the mpox outbreak globally. However, there is a lack of spatial epidemiological studies on mpox, which are crucial for accurately mapping the spatial distribution and clustering of the disease. This study aims to provide geographically accurate visual evidence to determine priority areas for mpox prevention and control. Locally confirmed mpox cases were collected between June and November 2023 from 31 provinces of mainland China excluding Taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong. Spatiotemporal epidemiological analyses, including spatial autocorrelation and regression analyses, were conducted to identify the spatiotemporal characteristics and clustering patterns of mpox attack rate and its spatial relationship with sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors. From June to November 2023, a total of 1610 locally confirmed mpox cases were reported in 30 provinces in mainland China, resulting in an attack rate of 11.40 per 10 million people. Global spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that in July (Moran I=0.0938; P=.08), August (Moran I=0.1276; P=.08), and September (Moran I=0.0934; P=.07), the attack rates of mpox exhibited a clustered pattern and positive spatial autocorrelation. The Getis-Ord Gi* statistics identified hot spots of mpox attack rates in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Hainan. Beijing and Tianjin were consistent hot spots from June to October. No cold spots with low mpox attack rates were detected by the Getis-Ord Gi* statistics. Local Moran I statistics identified a high-high (HH) clustering of mpox attack rates in Guangdong, Beijing, and Tianjin. Guangdong province consistently exhibited HH clustering from June to November, while Beijing and Tianjin were identified as HH clusters from July to September. Low-low clusters were mainly located in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Xizang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Ordinary least squares regression models showed that the cumulative mpox attack rates were significantly and positively associated with the proportion of the urban population (t0.05/2,1=2.4041 P=.02), per capita gross domestic product (t0.05/2,1=2.6955; P=.01), per capita disposable income (t0.05/2,1=2.8303; P=.008), per capita consumption expenditure (PCCE; t0.05/2,1=2.7452; P=.01), and PCCE for health care (t0.05/2,1=2.5924; P=.01). The geographically weighted regression models indicated a positive association and spatial heterogeneity between cumulative mpox attack rates and the proportion of the urban population, per capita gross domestic product, per capita disposable income, and PCCE, with high R2 values in north and northeast China. Hot spots and HH clustering of mpox attack rates identified by local spatial autocorrelation analysis should be considered key areas for precision prevention and control of mpox. Specifically, Guangdong, Beijing, and Tianjin provinces should be prioritized for mpox prevention and control. These findings provide geographically precise and visualized evidence to assist in identifying key areas for targeted prevention and control.

Consumption Expenditure Patterns and Food Security Dynamics in Nigeria

Food insecurity remains a critical issue globally, as highlighted by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2). In 2023, nearly 25 million Nigerians faced food insecurity due to factors like insurgency affecting agricultural activities. This, therefore, worsens the food insecurity in the country. Thus, this study investigates the dynamics between household consumption expenditure patterns and food security in Nigeria over a decade (2010-2019). This was done by analysing four waves of secondary panel data of 4,000 nationally representative households of the Nigeria General Household Survey GHS - Panel collected by the National Bureau of Statistics in four waves over ten years from 2010 to 2019. Analytical tools used were descriptive statistics and the Food Security Index. The results of the consumption patterns of the respondents showed that the majority of the respondents were in the lowest band of per capita total expenditure and sectoral expenditures. The ratio of food secure to food insecure averages around 30% to 70% with a food security (surplus) index of 1.26 and food insecurity (shortfall) index of 0.53. Nigeria was food insecure during the period. The analysis concludes that boosting agricultural productivity, improving infrastructure, and addressing corruption are essential to enhance food security in Nigeria. The government is recommended to prioritize long-term strategies for food production, support vulnerable households, and leverage technological advancements to increase agricultural productivity. This study underscores the need for comprehensive policies to address the multifaceted challenges of food insecurity in Nigeria.

Effect of digital financial inclusion on banking for the poor in African emerging economies

PurposeThis paper studies the effect of digital financial inclusion in banking on the poor and deprived populations of African emerging economies from 1997 to 2023.Design/methodology/approachAutomated teller machines, mobile payments and mobile money transactions measure digital financial inclusion. Household consumption expenditure proxies poverty reduction. The autoregressive distributed lag analyzes the study.FindingsThe results indicate that automated teller machines, mobile money transactions and financial deepening positively affect poverty reduction, while mobile payments negatively affect poverty reduction. Digital financial inclusion decreases poverty via increased investment and empowerment.Research limitations/implicationsDigital financial products and services should be expanded to all population segments in the economies. The governments should improve the quality and quantity of institutions that guarantee the operation of digital financial activities through the enforcement of law and order. The quality and quantity of mobile money transactions and financial deepening should be increased. The costs and charges involved in using automated teller machines and mobile payments should be regulated to relieve the burden on the population. The government should facilitate access to digital financial services via power supply, transport and telecommunication networks. Banks and telecommunications service providers should improve the payment system network to ensure cost-effective, convenient and secure financial service delivery. The digital infrastructure and financial services markets should be enhanced to fully capture the gains of financial inclusion and reduce poverty.Originality/valueA literature review provides studies with conflicting findings on the effect of digital financial inclusion on poverty reduction. This study supports that digital financial inclusion decreases poverty.

Public hospital reform, family health consumption and health inequality: evidence from China Family Panel Studies.

In 2017, China launched a comprehensive reform of public hospitals and eliminated drug markups, aiming to solve the problem of expensive medical treatment and allow poor and low-income people to enjoy basic health opportunities. This study attempts to evaluate the policy impact of public hospital reform on the health inequality of Chinese residents and analyze its micro-level mechanism from the perspective of household consumption structure. Studying the inherent causal connection between public hospital reform and health inequality is of paramount significance for strengthening China's healthcare policies, system design, raising the average health level of Chinese residents, and achieving the goal of ensuring a healthy life for individuals of all age groups. Based on the five waves of data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted in 2012-2020, We incorporates macro-level statistical indicators such as the time of public hospital reforms, health insurance surplus, and aging, generating 121,447 unbalanced panel data covering 27 provinces in China for five periods. This data was used to explore the impact of public hospital reform on health inequality. Logical and empirical tests were conducted to determine whether the reform, by altering family medical care and healthy leisure consumption expenditures, affects the micro-pathways of health inequality improvement. We constructed a two-way fixed model based on the re-centralized influence function (RIF_CI_OLS) and a chained mediation effects model to verify the hypotheses mentioned above. Public hospital reform can effectively improve the health inequality situation among Chinese residents. The reform significantly reduces household medical expenses, increases healthy leisure consumption, promotes the upgrading of family health consumption structure, and lowers the health inequality index. In terms of indirect effects, the contribution of the increase in healthy leisure consumption is relatively greater. Public hospital reform significantly alleviates health inequality in China, with household health consumption serving as an effective intermediary pathway in the aforementioned impact. In the dual context of global digitization and exacerbated population aging, enhancing higher education levels and vigorously developing the health industry may be two key factors contributing to this effect.

The impact of government expenditure, renewable energy consumption, and CO2 emissions on Lebanese economic sustainability: ARDL approach

Most of the recent environmental and economic studies focus on the influence of renewable energy consumption and effective government expenditure respecting global climate change in leading sustainable economic growth. The empirical studies showed variation in the relationship between these variables. Based on the Keynesian economic growth framework, this study aims to investigate the impact of government expenditure, renewable energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions on the sustainable economic growth of Lebanon. The study used the ordinary least square method to test the short- and long-run relationship between the model variables by employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Stationarity estimation. The research data are gathered from the World Development Indicators annually from 1990 to 2022. The empirical findings showed that all variables are stationary at first difference except for carbon dioxide emissions. A long-term relationship between the dependent and independent variables was shown by the model test simulation employing the bound test. The model test for model residuals showed no heteroscedasticity based on the White test. The residuals are normally distributed by applying the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the model is stable with no structural break at the period. According to the study results, government spending has a robust reverse relation with sustainable economic growth and positive significant results for both renewable energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The study findings are consistent with some literature sources and raise attention to monitoring the nature of government spending and boosting green energy sources in an economy.

Optimizing community green roof spaces in high-density cities: a K-modes clustering algorithm based analysis of resident preferences and spatial configuration

ABSTRACT Green roofs are an important part of the ecological system in high-density cities and a crucial component of community public green spaces. Analyzing preferences of residents during spatial planning can help improve their satisfaction and efficiency in using community rooftop spaces. This study uses K-modes algorithm to perform cluster analysis on questionnaires from 699 residents, and summarizes user profiles with significant characteristics by combing the comprehensive ratings of residents regarding different roof space functions. The study shows that differences in preferences among people are not only related to demographic characteristics but also to their interests and environmental perceptions. For example, low-to-middle-income groups, being price-sensitive, tend to reduce energy consumption expenditure. The highly educated population, driven by social needs, shows a clear preference for activity spaces and sports facilities. The elderly population, emphasizing healthy eating and rural memories, gives higher ratings to agricultural spaces. Finally, this study explores the correlation between certain resident characteristics and their preferences for green roof space functions, and proposes a “1+X” spatial configuration strategy dominated by Landscape Leisure Space, with Ecological Low-carbon Space, Agricultural Production Space, and Activity Gathering Space as options, in order to optimize community green roof spaces guided by resident needs.

Pricing the priceless childcare: Early childhood education for babies and toddlers.

This article connects Viviana Zelizer's theory of the social meaning of money to family studies, using the case of American parents' spending on children. We investigate how money spent on the youngest children-babies and toddlers-reflects the growing expert emphasis on the importance of parental investment in the critical early period for child development. First, we review literature on expert knowledge to trace the shift in increasing emphasis on the importance of building children's cognitive skills through formal education beginning in infancy, offered in center-based care, moving from spaces of "childcare" to "early childhood education" centers. Second, we use quantitative data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (1995-2017) to show that parents have increasingly spent money, and an increasing share of their income, on center-based care for babies and toddlers but not on otherchild items. Additionally, lower income families have been spending a greater share of their income on center-based care for their infants than other families. We interpret our findings using Zelizer's theory about the cultural influences on the meaning of money, showing how these can be expert-led and persist even when families are faced with structural economic constraints.

Poverty dynamics for Ghana during 2005/06–2016/17: An investigation using synthetic panels

Ghana has consistently kept its poverty rate lower than the regional average over the past 25 years, but this positive trend has slowed down recently. Without actual panel data, it would be next to impossible to probe into the dynamic patterns beneath this trend. We offer the first study that examines the dynamics of overall, moderate, and extreme poverty in Ghana during 2005/06–2016/17, addressing the lack of actual panel data by constructing synthetic panel data from three nationally representative cross-sectional rounds of the Ghana Living Standards Surveys (GLSSs).We present a well-defined decomposition framework, which allows us to examine a rich profile of the dynamics among different population groups. Beyond poverty analysis, we further investigate the dynamics of the full consumption expenditure distribution. Although we find considerable conditional chronic (extreme) poverty rates hovering around 50–60%, there was more upward mobility than downward mobility during this period. Poor households were also more likely to have stronger consumption expenditure growth. The findings suggest that factors such as educational attainment, female household headship, urban residence, and nonagricultural work are positively correlated with poverty reduction. Compared to all other correlates, educational attainment appears to be the most effective in pushing households out of poverty and keeping them from falling into poverty. These results contribute to the growing literature on poverty dynamics in developing countries in general and provide new and relevant inputs for policy advice in Ghana in particular, especially since policies that address chronic poverty typically differ from those that tackle transient poverty.

Changes in food consumption expenditure during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia

PurposeThis study aims to explore the structural changes in food consumption expenditure in Indonesia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using data from the 2020 and 2021 National Socioeconomic Survey by Statistics Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachThe quadratic almost-ideal demand system analysis model is used to estimate changes in the share of food consumption and the demand and price elasticity of food commodities in Indonesia. A total of 15 food items are analyzed to determine changes in food consumption expenditure during the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsThe results of this study show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the proportion of household expenditure related to the consumption of home-cooked food. Simultaneously, the proportion of expenditure on prepared food significantly decreased.Practical implicationsThe pandemic has changed household food consumption in Indonesia. This study recommends that the government ensure the availability of supplies and stability of food prices and provide financial subsidies to maintain food consumption, especially for lower-income communities.Originality/valueThere has yet to be a study on the changes in household food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Therefore, this research provides empirical evidence that there were changes in household food expenditure during the pandemic.

An agent‐based model of consumer demand

AbstractThis paper studies an agent‐based model of consumer demand. Agents are heterogeneous with respect to their preferences and incomes. There are two basic ingredients in the model. The first ingredient is a metric that captures the degree of heterogeneity between agents. The second ingredient is a serial computer algorithm that is used in order to compute a terminal consumption bundle at which income is exhausted and overall utility is maximized. Agents are clustered into heterogeneous groups based on their preferences and incomes. We extract information about the evolution of consumer expenditure under different price regimes and the buildup of optimal demand for varying levels of income and preference parameter values. These features cannot be obtained in the classical framework of static utility maximization. Our agent‐based data‐driven methodology can be applied to any relevant data set and so provide a reliable model for forecasting demand given some agent characteristics.

Two hours to the office, two minutes to the kitchen table: trends in local public-transportation expenditures from 2018 to 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic altered consumer spending on public transportation, including both intracity (mass transit, taxi, and limousine) and intercity (air, ship, bus, and train). According to the Consumer Expenditure Surveys, spending on public and other transportation fell 66.3 percent in 2020. With shifts toward virtual work and school attendance, many commuters’ 2 hours to the office became 2 minutes to the kitchen table. This article examines changes in dollars spent for public transportation, mainly intracity mass-transit spending from January 2018 to December 2021, among various unique demographic groups: urban and rural residency, occupation type, educational attainment, and selected metropolitan statistical areas. Essential workers generally were unable to telework. Simultaneously, private-transportation costs declined in 2020 for all, while affordability rose for many. Gasoline prices fell 46 cents (17 percent) per gallon in 2020, according to the Consumer Price Index. Furthermore, average annual income fell for certain occupational groups and rose for others (income rose 2 percent for all consumer units). A model of indifference curves and budget constraints is used to show which members of specific education groups are likely to substitute private for public transportation. Results in 2020 show that income growth and lower private-transportation costs compared with those of public transportation resulted in increased private-transportation spending of up to 5 percent, with accompanying public-transportation spending reductions of 40 to 50 percent. Although intracity mass-transit spending rebounded in 2021, it did not reach prepandemic levels.

Financial Inclusion and Financial Development Determine Human Development in Selected Asian Countries

The research highlights the crucial role of accessible financial services and robust financial systems in enhancing human development outcomes, offering valuable insights for policy-makers aiming to foster inclusive economic growth. This research makes an effort to highlight that financial inclusion and financial development with other major factors determine human development in some selected Asian economies. The authors make use of panel data from 8 Asian nations for the year 2005 to 2018. The dependent variable is the human development index. However, financial inclusion, financial development, urban population, and general government final consumption expenditure are taken as explanatory factors in this analysis. Fixed effect results show that financial inclusion with financial development, urban population, and general government final consumption expenditures have enhanced the human development of Asian countries. The study findings recommend for maximum financial approach and financial amenities in improving the human development of nations. There is a dire need for more improved quality of education for high living standards and development.

Effects of pay-for-performance based antimicrobial stewardship on antimicrobial consumption and expenditure: An interrupted time series analysis

ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of pay-for-performance on antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial expenditure in a large teaching hospital in Guangzhou, China. MethodsWe collected data from hospital information system from January 2018 through September 2022 in the inpatient wards. Antimicrobial consumption was evaluated using antibiotic use density (AUD) and antibiotic use rate (AUR). The economic impact of intervention was assessed by antimicrobial expenditure percentage. The data was analyzed using interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. ResultsFollowing the implementation of the intervention, immediate decreases in the level of AUD were observed in Department of Hematology Unit 3 (β = −66.93 DDDs/100PD, P = 0.002), Urology (β = −32.80 DDDs/100PD, P < 0.001), Gastrointestinal Surgery Unit 3 (β = −11.44 DDDs/100PD, P = 0.03), Cardiac Surgery (β = −14.30 DDDs/100PD, P = 0.01), ICU, Unit 2 (β = −81.91 DDDs/100PD, P = 0.02) and Cardiothoracic Surgery ICU (β = −41.52 DDDs/100PD, P = 0.05). Long-term downward trends in AUD were also identified in Organ Transplant Unit (β = −1.64 DDDs/100PD, P = 0.02). However, only Urology (β = −6.56 DDDs/100PD, P = 0.02) and Gastrointestinal Surgery Unit 3 (β = −8.50 %, P = 0.01) showed an immediate decrease in AUR, and long-term downward trends in AUR were observed in Pediatric ICU (β = −1.88 %, P = 0.05) and ICU Unit 1 (β = −0.55 %, P = 0.02). ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the adoption of pay-for-performance effectively reduces antibiotic consumption in specific departments of a hospital in Guangzhou in the short term. However, it is important to recognize that the long-term impact of such interventions is often limited. Additionally, it should be noted that the overall effectiveness of the intervention across the entire hospital was not significant.

UNVEILING THE DILEMMA: DO FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES IMPERIL OR PROPEL ECONOMIC PROSPERITY?

The study delves into how regulated derivatives trading influences economic growth across 21 countries, spanning from 1995 to 2022, encompassing major economies like the USA, UK, India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia. While derivatives markets are often linked with the 2008 financial crisis, our research explores their potential to positively impact the economy through various pathways detailed in the paper. Employing a dynamic panel data model (GMM) mitigates potential endogeneity concerns. Our findings reveal notable insights: we identify a positive association between the expansion of regulated derivatives trading and economic growth, evident in both percentage change and per capita GDP. Additionally, inflation shows a negative correlation with economic growth, while trade openness and fertility rates exhibit positive correlations. Notably, our study uncovers unexpected outcomes, diverging from existing literature, particularly concerning the relationships involving foreign direct investments, gross domestic savings, government consumption expenditure, and economic growth.

INTER-REGIONAL POVERTY DISPARITIES IN JAVA, INDONESIA: AN ANALYSIS OF KEY INFLUENCING FACTORS (2010-2020)

This study seeks to investigate the evolution of poverty in Java from 2010 to 2020, as well as the regional factors that contributing to disparities in poverty between regions. The results of the analysis indicate a downward trend in the number and proportion of poor people on the island of Java but a rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are regional distribution groups with high and low poverty rates. The results of the ANOVA reveal significant differences in the occurrence of urban poverty on the island of Java based on province and regional status but not by zone. Positively and negatively, the majority of the predictors have a very significant relationship with poverty. Six regional variables (level of consumption (expenditure), level of health (life expectancy), income per capita, level of education (number of years of schooling), population density (people/km2), and economic potential (GRDP at current prices)) account for 68.10% of the variation in the number of poor people in Java, while the remaining 31.9% is determined by other variables. The model of variation in Java's poverty is determined by three variables: per capita income, GRDP, and public consumption level.

Do Investments Have an Impact on Reducing Poverty? ARDL Approach

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of foreign direct investments (FDI) and gross fixed capital formations (GFC) on poverty reduction in Türkiye. Design/Methodology: In this study, which analyzes the impact of investments on poverty, two different models were established. The models constructed using 1982-2020 annual data were analyzed with the ARDL method. Findings: As a result of the analysis, both foreign direct investments and gross fixed capital formations have positive (poverty reducing) effects on poverty reduction in Türkiye. Gross fixed capital formations are more effective in reducing poverty than foreign direct investments. Limitations: The number of poor people in Türkiye is accessed discretely. This situation has led to a limited number of empirical studies in the field of economics in Türkiye that use time series analyses related to poverty. In this study, this constraint is overcome by using household final consumption expenditures per capita (HFC) as a proxy variable as in the literature. Originality/Value: In this study, two separate models were established with foreign direct investments and gross fixed capital formations as independent variables. The comparison of the impact of these two types of investment variables on poverty in Türkiye reveals the originality of this study.

Suitable Software for the Study of Combustion Processes in Boilers

Diversification of energy resources is a current objective that several countries want to achieve, including in northern Europe. Demand for wood fuels is increasing in Latvia, reflected in consumer expenditure. Using low-quality biomass (LQB) to produce fuel pellets for stabilisation and diversification is possible. LQB pellets can theoretically and practically be used in low-capacity solid fuel boilers to provide different types of individual heating systems with an alternative energy source. Before starting mass production of LQB fuel pellets, it is necessary to clarify the properties of the raw materials. Any fuel study shall be divided into two phases: determination of the parameters of the fuel or raw material (calorific values, moisture content, and ash content) and analysis of the combustion process. The combustion process can be studied in two ways: experimentally and by mathematical modelling. Knowing the parameters that would need to be clarified during the study of the LQB fuel pellets combustion process (thermodynamics, gaseous emissions, PM emissions, bottom ash, and slag), the authors have set the goal of clarifying the software applied to mathematical modelling of these parameters. A bibliometric analysis method was chosen to identify the software. The bibliometric analysis was carried out in the Scopus database. As a result, two software were identified: ANSYS Fluent software is suitable for modelling thermodynamic processes and gaseous emission streams. At the same time, XDEM software is ideal for modelling particle streams and ash/slag generation. This software will be used in future studies.

Fiscal Prudence and Economic Growth in Asia: the role of Efficient Public Spending

The present research is an attempt to study the role of public sector efficiencies in determining optimal fiscal size of the governments for selected Asian countries. Studying efficiency of public spending is important because efficient government spending leads to improved provision of public services like health, education, infrastructure, and welfare initiatives. Improving public sector efficiency will help to promote transparency and accountability which reduces the chances of corruption and wastage of scarce public resources. Using the panel data for 19 developing countries for years 1996-2022, efficiency augmented optimal size of government expenditures is calculated. Pooled Mean Group technique is employed to calculate the impact of efficiency on growth maximizing levels of government total spending, government consumption spending and government investment spending. Results establish strong impact of efficiency in public expenditures on optimal fiscal size. Other variables enhancing economic growth include capital stock and trade openness, while human capital has negative effects. Public sector efficiencies are found to reduce growth maximizing size of government spending. The optimal size of government total expenditure is estimated to be 25.19 %, while optimal fiscal size for government consumption expenditure and government investment expenditure are 14.04%, and 11.18 % respectively for developing Asian countries.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and food expenditures: Evaluating California's cash‐out policy

AbstractThis paper investigates how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility affects food expenditures. A 2019 policy change in California granted SNAP eligibility to previously ineligible Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. Using the Consumer Expenditure Survey, we find that after the policy change, affected SSI recipients increased their “food at home” budget share between 2.5 and 4.3 percentage points ($120 to $206 per quarter). The SNAP effect on total food expenditures is dampened by a decrease in “food away from home” which SNAP benefits cannot be spent on.