The Effects of Regional House Prices on Consumption in Korea: Heterogeneous Behaviors According to Homeownership Status and Lifecycle Stage

This paper investigates the effects of regional house prices on consumption growth, with a focus on heterogeneity across homeownership statuses and lifecycle stages, using household-level panel data in Korea from 2004 to 2017. The empirical estimation results indicate, firstly, that the growth of regional house prices has overall positive effects on consumption growth in the full sample including homeowners and renters. Secondly, house prices have significant and large effects on consumption growth for homeowners, while the effects are sharply reversed for renters, being weakly negative. Thirdly, the sensitivity of homeowners’ consumption in response to house prices differs across different stages of the lifecycle. The consumption sensitivity is greatest in the old age cohort for the sample covering the owners of single and multiple homes. When using a subsample of only single homeowners, however, the young cohort turns out to have the highest sensitivity, implying that young single homeowners face high borrowing constraints and expected income volatility. Finally, renters’ consumption sensitivity in response to house prices becomes more negative over the lifecycle.