Calculation of the component

This component displays the difference between annual expenditure for private consumer durables and the monetized annual benefits of the stock of private consumer durables (in prices of 2010).

The Federal Statistical Office publishes data on “privates Netto-Gebrauchsvermögen” for the Federal Republic of Germany in course of the asset account within the national accounts (Fachserie 18, Reihe 1.4: Inlandsproduktberechnung, Detaillierte Jahresergebnisse 2014 (Stand 11.5.2016), Tabelle 3.1.6: „Gebrauchsvermögen der privaten Haushalte“, Bestand am Jahresende).

Analogous to the calculation of fixed capital assets, the stock of consumer durables is reported as a net-concept, i.e. considering the annual depreciation and denoted in replacement prices. Furthermore, price-adjusted index values (chain index 2010=100) are provided.

The depreciation is calculated based on data on useful-life time of different commodity groups compiled from different sources that partially contain significant margins of error.   

However, the data situation allows an improved calculation compared to earlier estimation methods. We principally deduct expenditures for consumer durables from weighed private consumption on the one side and add the depreciation as the annual benefit from using the stock of consumer durables. The balance of costs (expenditure) and benefits (depreciation) can also be calculated as the difference between “net stock of consumer durables in the former and the current year” because the “net stock of consumer durables” already consideres depreciations. The value for 1991 must be estimated since there is no value for 1990 (changes in accordance with the rate of change between 1992-1997).