Part 6/14:
Rents, for example, have shown contradictory movements depending on location, further complicating the picture. An anecdotal household inflation exercise revealed that personal inflation rates could be significantly higher than official statistics, suggesting the importance of individualized analysis.
Asset Inflation vs. Consumer Goods Inflation
The dialogue emphasized the divergence between asset price inflation and consumer goods inflation. Over the past decade, technological advancements and globalization have driven prices of physical goods down—think electronics, vehicles, and appliances—creating a deflationary trend. Conversely, costs associated with services such as healthcare, education, and childcare have risen rapidly, outpacing overall inflation.