Ideal indices and indicators for two or more factors

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Balk, Bert M.^{a; b}

Affiliations: [a] Erasmus Research Institute of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands | [b] Methods and Informatics Department, Statistics Netherlands, P.O. Box 4000, 2270 JM Voorburg, The Netherlands. E-mail: bblk@cbs.nl

Abstract: The index number problem is known as that of decomposing an aggregate change into symmetric factors, the number of which usually is two. This paper discusses the generalization to more than two factors, reviews the proposals from the literature, and adds a simple solution.

Keywords: index number theory, ideal indices, decomposition

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-2003-0223

Journal: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 203-217, 2003