Inflation, Output Growth, and Nominal and Real Uncertainty: Empirical Evidence for the G7

We use univariate GARCH models of inflation and output growth and monthly data on inflation and output growth in the G7 for the 1960-2000 period to examine all possible causal relationships between inflation, output growth, real, and nominal uncertainty, and hence test for a number of economic theories. We derive a number of important results: First, we find strong evidence that inflation is a negative determinant of output growth. This effect works both directly and indirectly, i.e., via the inflation uncertainty channel. Second, we obtain evidence supporting the Cukierman-Meltzer hypothesis in most countries. In Japan the stabilisation hypothesis seems to hold. Finally, in most countries we find that output growth uncertainty is a positive determinant of the growth rate as predicted by Black (1987).