Output Loss and Recovery from Banking and Currency Crises: Estimation Issues

Abstract

Relatively few studies in the financial crisis literature have attempted to examine the connection between financial crises and the real economy, in part due to concerns regarding an appropriate methodology to use in estimating output losses associated with a crisis. Among these studies, two methodologies (a dummy variable approach and an output gap approach) are employed to capture the magnitude of output reductions. The analytical comparison in this study suggests that the latter approach is preferred, but is itself subject to many controversial estimation issues. The estimated output losses for individual crisis episodes seem to be sensitive to how these estimation criteria are defined. This study also provides a review of empirical studies that investigate crisis-response policies and domestic regulatory and institutional structures that allow governments to respond in a timely and effectively manner to crises, thereby reducing the severity of output losses.