GDP is significant because it provides information on the size and performance of an economy. The pace of increase in real GDP is frequently used as a gauge of the economy’s overall health. An increase in real GDP is viewed as a sign that the economy is performing well in general.
Consumption (C)
Consumption is the total amount of goods and services purchased by citizens (such as retail products or rent), and it increases as more is consumed. It accounts for the majority of GDP. Professionals typically consider continually increasing consumption to be a sign of a strong economy since it indicates consumer confidence in spending rather than future uncertainty and lack of expenditure.
Investment (I)
Any domestic investment, or capital expenditures, on new assets that will give future advantages is referred to as investment. Companies spend money on equipment, inventory, and the construction of new locations to invest in business activities. The period over which the acquired good or service gives advantages to its purchaser is the difference between consumption and investment.
Higher levels of investment are significant because they enhance productive capacity and employment rates.
Government (G)
Government represents the money spent by the government on goods and services such as education, transportation, military, and infrastructure (consumption expenditure and gross investment). This spending is paid for by taxes and corporate profits, or it is borrowed. The government must collect more money than it spends in order to have a surplus rather than a deficit.
In the aftermath of a recession, when consumer spending and business investment both plummet, government spending becomes even more crucial to examine.
Exports – Imports (X-M)
The exports imports part of the equation refers to goods and services generated in the home economy and sold abroad, minus imports acquired by domestic consumers. This includes all expenditures made by businesses with a physical presence in the country.
The net value of a country’s export (X) is larger than the value of its imports (M), and the country has a trade surplus. In the same way, if M is bigger than X, the country has a trade deficit.
Keep in mind that while GDP ratios aren’t directly comparable between the US and other countries, the formula, criteria, and information used to calculate GDP are universal.
What role does GDP play in economic growth?
- GDP allows policymakers and central banks to determine whether the economy is contracting or increasing and take appropriate action as soon as possible.
- It also helps politicians, economists, and businesses to examine the influence of variables such as monetary and fiscal policy, economic shocks, and tax and expenditure plans.
- The expenditure, income, or value-added approaches can all be used to determine GDP.
What is the significance of GDP per capita?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is the abbreviation for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita (per person). It is obtained from a straightforward divide of total GDP (see definition of GDP) by the population. In international markets, per capita GDP is usually stated in local current currency, local constant currency, or a standard unit of currency, such as the US dollar (USD).
GDP per capita is a key metric of economic success and a helpful unit for comparing average living standards and economic well-being across countries. However, GDP per capita is not a measure of personal income and using it for cross-country comparisons also has some known flaws. GDP per capita, in particular, does not account for a country’s income distribution. Furthermore, cross-country comparisons based on the US dollar might be skewed by exchange rate movements and don’t always reflect the purchasing power of the countries under consideration.
For the last five years, the table below illustrates GDP per capita in current US dollars (USD) by country.
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What is the significance of GDP to economists and investors?
Because it represents a representation of economic activity and development, GDP is a crucial metric for economists and investors. Economic growth and production have a significant impact on practically everyone in a particular economy. When the economy is thriving, unemployment is normally lower, and salaries tend to rise as businesses recruit more workers to fulfill the economy’s expanding demand.
What are the benefits of a high GDP for businesses?
More employment are likely to be created as GDP rises, and workers are more likely to receive higher wage raises. When GDP falls, the economy shrinks, which is terrible news for businesses and people. A recession is defined as a drop in GDP for two quarters in a row, which can result in pay freezes and job losses.
What effect does GDP have on the stock market?
A country’s GDP measures both its economic growth and its residents’ purchasing power. As a result, the growth of India’s GDP will affect the success of your investment portfolio. We’ll learn what GDP is, how it’s calculated, and how a change in GDP affects your financial portfolio in this post. Let’s start with the fundamentals.
What is GDP?
A country’s GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, is the total value of products and services generated over a given time period. GDP statistics is calculated in India for each financial year, which runs from April 1 to March 31. The information is published on a quarterly and annual basis.
GDP statistics is a measure of a country’s economic health. A high rate of GDP growth suggests that the economy is growing and doing well. A negative GDP growth rate, on the other hand, implies that the economy has contracted and is not in good shape.
To address the expanding needs of the enormous population in a developing economy like India, a high GDP growth rate is essential. We can do so by investing heavily in infrastructure such as roads, railways, healthcare, and education, among other things.
How is GDP calculated in India?
The National Accounts Division (NAD), which is part of the Central Statistical Office in India, compiles and prepares GDP data (CSO). The GDP statistics is released by the CSO, which is part of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI).
Expenditure method
The expenditure-based method shows how the Indian economy’s various sectors are performing.
- The amount spent by households on goods and services is referred to as private consumption.
- The term “gross investment” refers to the amount of money spent on capital goods by the private sector.
- Government spending refers to how much money the government spends on things like paying employees’ salaries, pensions, subsidies, and running social programs, among other things.
Value Addition Method
India also uses the Gross Value Addition (GVA) Method or Value Addition Method to calculate GDP. As it goes through the supply chain, each sector of the economy adds value. The GVA approach calculates GDP by taking into consideration the following eight sectors:
The nominal GDP is calculated first when computing GDP. After that, it’s corrected for inflation, and the real GDP is calculated.
India’s GDP in the last few quarters
India’s quarterly GDP data for the last three years is depicted in the figure above. Positive increase was seen in the first quarter of 2020. Following that, COVID-19 struck, resulting in two quarters of negative growth. The Indian economy recovered from the pandemic’s effects in the fourth quarter of 2020, growing at a rate of 1.6 percent.
India’s GDP growth over the last decade
From 2012 to 2016, India’s GDP grew at a faster rate every year, as shown in the graph above. However, beginning in 2017, growth began to decline until 2019. COVID-19’s impact at the start of 2020 exacerbated the situation.
How a change in GDP affects your investment portfolio
Stock markets are directly associated with a country’s GDP, according to the general rule. India is no different. Because markets and GDP are intimately interrelated, your investment portfolio is also directly correlated with GDP.
- The stock markets will be energized by a positive shift in the GDP (a higher GDP growth number), and the market will rise as a result. If the stock market rises, it will have a beneficial impact on your investment portfolio.
- A negative change in the GDP (a lower GDP growth statistic or a GDP contraction) will undoubtedly cause the financial markets to react negatively. As a result, the stock market will fall. If the stock market falls, it will have a negative influence on your investment portfolio.
There is a positive association between India’s GDP growth and the NIFTY 50 Index, as shown in the graph above:
- India’s GDP expanded at an annual pace of roughly 8% from 2004 to 2008. During this time, the NIFTY 50 Index climbed from 2000 to 4000 points. During this time, your investment portfolio should have done well.
- The subprime mortgage crisis hit the United States in 2008-2009, with global ramifications. During this time, India’s GDP growth slowed from 8% to roughly 3%, and the NIFTY 50 Index dropped from highs of 4000 to lows of 3000. During this time, it would have had a detrimental influence on your financial portfolio.
- Between 2009 and 2011, the GDP recovered, and the NIFTY 50 Index did as well. Your financial portfolio would have rebounded as well.
- GDP growth slowed between 2011 and 2013, owing to reasons such as high crude oil prices, high inflation, and the European debt crisis, among others. During this time, the NIFTY 50 Index also saw a correction. Your investment portfolio would have suffered as well.
- The GDP increased significantly from 2013 to 2018, surpassing 8% for the second time. During this time, the NIFTY 50 Index performed admirably. During this time, your investment portfolio would have produced impressive gains.
- In recent years, the direct association between GDP growth and the NIFTY 50 Index appears to have weakened. In truth, there is a significant gap between the two. So, despite the fact that GDP growth has slowed, your investment portfolio has produced excellent results.
Divergence between GDP growth and stock markets
The relationship between GDP growth and stock markets is usually direct, as shown in the graph above, but this is not always the case. The Nifty 50 Index and GDP growth headed in different directions in 2019, and this trend persisted in 2020 and 2021. The following things may contribute to such a scenario:
Stock markets that are always looking ahead: Stock markets are always looking ahead. So, even if GDP growth is currently modest, the stock markets are anticipating strong GDP growth in the future and are trading at higher levels as a result.
High liquidity: In the previous year and a half, central banks and governments around the world, including India, have implemented various stimulus initiatives to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. People have received cash as a result of this. The majority of this money has been placed in the stock markets, which has resulted in greater stock market trading levels.
Other than stock, there aren’t many investing options: To counteract the pandemic’s effects and jump-start the economy, the RBI slashed interest rates dramatically. As a result, banks’ fixed deposit rates have dropped to multi-year lows. When the pandemic hit, gold spiked, but it has since adjusted and remained static. As a result, except from stock, Indian individual investors have few other investing options. As a result, most investors have put their money into stocks, causing the NIFTY 50 Index to rise.
Foreign fund flows: In the recent year, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have invested massive sums of money in Indian stock markets, in addition to Indian ordinary investors. The NIFTY 50 Index has also risen as a result of this.
Better company profitability: The pandemic has impacted the whole Indian corporate sector. The unlisted economy, SMEs, MSMEs, and the informal economy continue to suffer. Large publicly traded corporations, on the other hand, have been able to weather the storm much more quickly and effectively. As a result, huge publicly traded firms’ profits have increased, and their stock values have increased, causing the NIFTY 50 Index to rise.
Divergence between GDP growth and stock markets is temporary
We’ve seen how the GDP growth rate and stock market performance can diverge. This type of divergence, however, is just transitory and will be corrected at some point. Either the GDP growth rate will rebound and the Indian economy will return to its previous high growth rate, or the stock market will correct in tandem with the low GDP growth rate in the future.
India’s GDP growth rate has a better chance of increasing than the stock market falling. Still, only time will tell what will transpire. What appears likely is that, over time, the pace of GDP growth and the stock market will re-establish a direct relationship.
Last words
You would be getting strong returns on your investment portfolio right now, even if GDP growth is sluggish. However, this may not last long, therefore let’s hope India’s GDP growth picks up rapidly so that our current investment returns remain stable and grow in the future. In the long run, proper asset allocation will ensure that your investment portfolio earns the best possible returns, even if GDP growth is sluggish. When the equity markets are performing poorly, the debt and gold sections of your investing portfolio can provide good returns. As a result, ensure that you have a suitable asset allocation between equity, gold, debt, and other assets, so that you can continue to achieve optimal returns regardless of GDP growth.
Why is GDP more significant than GNP?
GDP is significant because it indicates whether the economy is expanding or declining. Since 1991, the United States has utilized GDP as its primary economic metric, replacing GNP as the most widely used measure internationally.
Is a higher or lower GDP preferable?
Gross domestic product (GDP) has traditionally been used by economists to gauge economic success. If GDP is increasing, the economy is doing well and the country is progressing. On the other side, if GDP declines, the economy may be in jeopardy, and the country may be losing ground.
What effect does GDP have on living standards?
- GDP, or gross domestic product, quantifies the economy’s overall output, including activity, stability, and growth of products and services; as a result, it’s used as a proxy for the economy.
- The standard of living is calculated using per capita GDP, which is calculated by dividing GDP by the country’s population.
- GDP can thus be used to determine the standard of living on a broad scale.
- Economists, on the other hand, frequently make changes to GDP, such as utilizing real GDP or use different methodologies for calculating the standard of living.
- In general, rising global income leads to a higher quality of life, and declining global income leads to a worse level of living.