Graph and download economic data for Global price of Food index (PFOODINDEXM) from Jan 1992 to Jun 2025 about World, food, indexes, and price.

The dataset provides the price indices computed for the academic paper "Price and Global Inequality", available at https://www.xavierjaravel.com/papers. The data has been created as part of the project addressing two questions: (1) What are the implications of prices changes for inequality and standards of living? (2) To what extent do the price effects induced by policies alter the cost-benefit analysis of these policies? Despite extensive research, we currently lack detailed data as well as various empirical and theoretical tools to appropriately answer these questions. These questions are fundamental because it is well-known that individuals across the income distribution purchase different baskets of goods and services. Therefore, changes in prices or product availability over time can potentially have an important impact on inequality.

This project asks two questions:

(1) What are the implications of prices changes for inequality and standards of living?

(2) To what extent do the price effects induced by policies alter the cost-benefit analysis of these policies?

Despite extensive research, we currently lack detailed data as well as various empirical and theoretical tools to appropriately answer these questions.

These questions are fundamental because it is well-known that individuals across the income distribution purchase different baskets of goods and services. Therefore, changes in prices or product availability over time can potentially have an important impact on inequality. Likewise, differences in prices across countries can have a profound impact on standards of living across countries.

The few studies that have investigated these questions have used "macro" data (at a high level of aggregation), but I have shown in previous work (Jaravel 2017) that it is crucial to use "micro" data (i.e. very disaggregated data, at the product level) to accurately answer these questions.

We know that policies may have large price effects (see Jaravel 2018 on the price effects of food stamps). For instance, increasing import tariffs is likely to result in higher prices for domestic consumers (which I have started investigating in ongoing work: Borusyak and Jaravel 2017 and Jaravel and Sager 2018). But we do not have a good understanding of how large this effect might be. Likewise, other important policies like income redistribution schemes or monetary policy could have significant effects on prices, which are not well understood currently.

There are two main challenges to answer the two fundamental questions asked in this project. First, it is not easy to properly measure how prices change over time and across countries, because the set of available goods and services is always changing and detailed micro data is required. Second, it is challenging to understand the impact of policies on prices because of feedback loops. For instance, if a given policy makes a particular group of individuals richer, they might change their consumption patterns and start buying a different set of goods or services, which may have an impact on the income of other agents, who in turn will change their consumption patterns, etc.

In this project, I propose to proceed in two steps, tackling each of these two major challenges in turn to advance our understanding of the effects of price changes and of their implications for major policies. The first part of the project aims at addressing three fundamental limitations in the literature on the measurement of "quality-adjusted" price changes (building on Jaravel 2017): (i) limited availability of scanner data across countries; (ii) limited use of hedonic regressions; and (iii) limited understanding of the welfare impact of house prices changes. Using new models and new empirical tools, the second part of the project aims at shedding new light on the welfare impact of three important types of policies, given their price effects: (i) optimal income and commodity taxation; (ii) trade policy (building on Borusyak and Jaravel 2017 and Jaravel and Sager 2018); and (iii) monetary policy.

The various parts of this project constitute a cohesive whole. Taking a multi-faceted approach is the only way of making significant progress on understanding the effects of prices and their policy implications.

This project has a strong potential for impact. In particular, it could change the type of inflation statistics published by national government agencies, as well as the type of standards-of-living statistics across countries published by international organisations. To ensure that the new data and new findings from the project are easily accessible by other researchers, policymakers, think tanks, as well as by the general public, the results and data will be made available online on a dedicated, user-friendly website.

In 2023, the global average price of polypropylene (PP) was *** U.S. dollars per ton – a decrease of *** U.S. dollars, compared with the previous years. The global polypropylene market The global polypropylene market was valued at ****** billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The global PP market is projected to continue growing over the next decade, registering a CAGR of *** percent during the forecast period of 2023 to 2030 to reach a value of ****** billion U.S. dollars. This will see the polypropylene market volume rise to over 100 million metric tons by 2030. Polypropylene end-uses Polypropylene is one of the most commonly used thermoplastics due to its elasticity and durability and is used across a wide range of end-uses including electronics, transportation, and construction. However, the major end-user of polypropylene is the plastic packaging industry.

At **** U.S. dollars, Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world, according to the January 2025 Big Mac index. Concurrently, the cost of a Big Mac was **** dollars in the U.S., and **** U.S. dollars in the Euro area. What is the Big Mac index? The Big Mac index, published by The Economist, is a novel way of measuring whether the market exchange rates for different countries’ currencies are overvalued or undervalued. It does this by measuring each currency against a common standard – the Big Mac hamburger sold by McDonald’s restaurants all over the world. Twice a year the Economist converts the average national price of a Big Mac into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at that point in time. As a Big Mac is a completely standardized product across the world, the argument goes that it should have the same relative cost in every country. Differences in the cost of a Big Mac expressed as U.S. dollars therefore reflect differences in the purchasing power of each currency. Is the Big Mac index a good measure of purchasing power parity? Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the idea that items should cost the same in different countries, based on the exchange rate at that time. This relationship does not hold in practice. Factors like tax rates, wage regulations, whether components need to be imported, and the level of market competition all contribute to price variations between countries. The Big Mac index does measure this basic point – that one U.S. dollar can buy more in some countries than others. There are more accurate ways to measure differences in PPP though, which convert a larger range of products into their dollar price. Adjusting for PPP can have a massive effect on how we understand a country’s economy. The country with the largest GDP adjusted for PPP is China, but when looking at the unadjusted GDP of different countries, the U.S. has the largest economy.

Graph and download economic data for Global Price Index of All Commodities (PALLFNFINDEXM) from Jan 2003 to Apr 2025 about World, commodities, price index, indexes, and price.

The global average price of quinoa rose substantially between 2012 and 2014, from 3.21 to 6.74 U.S. dollars per kilogram. As of December, 2021, a kilogram of quinoa cost around 1.64 U.S. dollars on average worldwide.

Global quinoa production Quinoa is native to South America and the vast majority of quinoa is still produced in Bolivia and Peru, as of 2017. In that year, around 146.74 thousand metric tons of quinoa were produced worldwide. Peru’s production share of quinoa is slightly larger than Bolivia’s production volume. Ecuador also cultivates a small but significant share of the world’s quinoa.

Leading types of superfoods The term “superfood” has been popping up on online health blogs and in fitness magazines, as well as on food packaging. It tends to refer to food that is nutritionally dense and exceptionally good for one’s health. Quinoa, chia seeds, kale, and salmon are a few examples of so-called superfoods. Between 2016 and 2017, the year-on-year retail sales growth of quinoa was 15.6 percent, higher than any other type of superfood. In addition, chia seed sales saw an increase of 14.7 percent in that time period.

The price of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has fluctuated significantly from 2017 to 2023, reaching a low of *** U.S. dollars per metric ton in 2020 and a high of ***** U.S. dollars per metric ton in 2018. The price was shown to have increased slightly from this 2020 minimum to a value of *** U.S. dollars per metric ton in 2023. HDPE as a petrochemical derivative One of the main factors that influences the HDPE market is the price of the raw material ethylene. Ethylene is a petrochemical product that is significantly affected by global oil prices and supply and demand dynamics. In 2021 the global ethylene market size was valued at *** billion U.S. dollars and was forecast to increase to a value of *** billion U.S. dollars by 2030. The ethylene market is predominantly dominated by the Asia Pacific region, contributing **** percent of total revenue. China holds the position of the world's largest consumer of ethylene, accounting for ** percent of global demand, while the remaining Asian countries consumed ** percent. Environmental concerns and HDPE alternatives HDPE poses significant environmental concerns due to its non-biodegradability and challenges in recycling. Since 1950, the global production of plastic materials has exceeded **** billion metric tons, but only **** percent of them have been recycled. The remaining plastic waste has been either discarded in landfills or released into the environment. As one of the most widely manufactured plastics worldwide, HDPE waste can accumulate over time, leading to pollution and adverse health effects for both humans and animals. To address these issues, various alternatives to HDPE are being developed or utilized, such as bioplastics, synthetic paper, and bio-based HDPE. These alternatives aim to mitigate the environmental impacts of HDPE by utilizing renewable resources, biodegradable materials, or minimizing carbon emissions. However, these alternatives also have notable drawbacks, including higher costs, reduced performance, and the potential for competition with food crops.

285 Active Global Price Tags buyers list and Global Price Tags importers directory compiled from actual Global import shipments of Price Tags.

The average price of ethylene worldwide amounted to some *** U.S. dollars per metric ton in 2023. The global production capacity of ethylene reached approximately ****** million tons in 2022. Petrochemical products Ethylene is the most commonly used petrochemical globally. A major part of its production is used to produce polyethylene, a common plastic material that accounts for roughly ** percent of global thermoplastic production. Other ethylene-derived products include ethylene glycol, ethylene dichloride, and styrene. Apart from ethylene, other widely produced petrochemicals are propylene, methanol, and paraxylene. Together they account for over ** percent of the global upstream petrochemical capacity. Petrochemical prices Petrochemical prices are highly dependent on the price of oil and related products. Feedstock costs represent the largest share of petrochemical production costs, ahead of fixed costs, power, and transportation. As with oil prices, the price of petrochemical products fell sharply during 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, petrochemicals such as ethylene, propylene, or benzene registered the lowest price in recent years, although they picked up shortly after.

Coffee rose to 295.76 USd/Lbs on July 22, 2025, up 1.30% from the previous day. Over the past month, Coffee's price has fallen 9.80%, but it is still 23.82% higher than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Coffee - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Global Price Index of All Commodities (PALLFNFINDEXQ) from Q1 2003 to Q2 2025 about World, commodities, price index, indexes, and price.

The average global price of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in 2023 was *** U.S. dollars per metric ton, which represents a decrease from the previous year’s average price of ***** U.S. dollars per metric ton. Global PVC market value The price of PVC is influenced by several factors, such as supply and demand, feedstock costs, environmental regulations, and trade policies. In October 2024, the global monthly market for PVC was valued at *** billion U.S. dollars per metric ton, the lowest valuation since May 2020. What are the alternatives to PVC? PVC is a widely used plastic material that has many applications in various industries, but its environmental and human health impacts present some drawbacks. As a result, there have been a number of efforts to develop alternatives to PVC that use natural, biodegradable, or recyclable materials. Some of these alternative plastic polymers include polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which offer better recyclability and lower emissions. Paper-based alternatives also exist, which are both renewable and compostable, making them an eco-friendly option for packaging and disposable items. Other alternatives include polylactic acid (PLA), derived from plant sources, which is also biodegradable and ideal for food packaging and 3D printing; wool felt, a natural material with water resistance and insulation properties, suitable for clothing and crafts; and bioplastics, made from renewable biomass sources such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, or pea starch. These alternatives offer various benefits and challenges depending on the intended use and material availability.

The global price of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in 2022 was ******* U.S. dollars per metric ton, showing an increase from the previous year's value of ******* U.S. dollars per metric ton. PET is extensively used in the textile industry to make polyester fibers, as well as for various packaging applications like beverage bottles, food containers, and personal care products. PET market outlook This increase in the global price of PET coincides with a rise in the market value of PET worldwide, which reached ***** billion U.S. dollars in 2022, up from ***** billion U.S. dollars in 2021. The market value is projected to continue growing, reaching an estimated ***** billion U.S. dollars by 2030. This growth in market value is reflective of the increasing demand for PET, with the global market volume of PET reaching ***** million metric tons in 2022, up from ***** million metric tons in 2015. Environmental footprint of PET and bioplastic PET PET is a widely used plastic with various applications, but its production and usage come with environmental concerns. Although it is entirely recyclable, traditional PET is derived from non-renewable resources and is not biodegradable, contributing to plastic pollution and resource depletion. In response, there has been growing interest in bioplastic PET, which is made from renewable resources and is biodegradable. However, despite its potential benefits, there is a forecasted decline in the production capacity of bioplastic PET. In 2023, the production capacity stood at ***, but it is forecasted to drop to *** by 2028. While bioplastic PET is made from renewable resources and is biodegradable, it still has some environmental downsides. For instance, the production process for bioplastic PET can be energy-intensive and water-consuming, and the biodegradation process may release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. As a result, some companies are exploring even more sustainable bioplastic alternatives, such as plant-based materials like polylactic acid (PLA) or fully biodegradable plastics like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA).

As of 2022, Israel had the highest price level index among listed countries, amounting to 138, with 100 being the average of OECD countries. Switzerland and Iceland followed on the places behind. On the other hand, Turkey and India had the lowest price levels compared to the OECD average. This price index shows differences in price levels in different countries. Another very popular index indicating the value of money is the Big Mac index, showing how much a Big Mac costs in different countries. This list was also topped by Switzerland in 2023.

Price Comparison Websites (PCWs) Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global Price Comparison Websites (PCWs) market size reached USD 10.8 billion in 2024, with a robust year-on-year growth trajectory. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period, reaching USD 25.8 billion by 2033. This impressive growth is primarily fueled by the increasing digitalization of retail, the proliferation of e-commerce platforms, and the growing consumer demand for transparency and value in online purchasing decisions. As per the latest research, the surge in mobile internet penetration and the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are further accelerating the adoption and effectiveness of price comparison websites globally.

One of the primary growth drivers for the Price Comparison Websites (PCWs) market is the evolving consumer behavior toward online shopping and digital services. Consumers are increasingly seeking platforms that can help them make informed purchasing decisions by providing real-time comparisons of products, services, and prices across multiple vendors. The convenience offered by PCWs, along with the assurance of finding the best deals, has resulted in a significant uptick in user engagement. Furthermore, the rise of e-commerce giants and the diversification of online marketplaces have created a complex shopping environment, making price comparison websites an essential tool for both consumers and businesses looking to optimize their purchasing and selling strategies. As a result, PCWs have established themselves as a critical component of the global digital commerce ecosystem.

Another significant factor contributing to the growth of the PCWs market is the rapid advancement in technology. The integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics has enabled price comparison websites to offer more personalized and accurate recommendations to users. These technologies allow PCWs to analyze vast amounts of data, predict price trends, and deliver tailored deals based on individual preferences and browsing history. Additionally, the adoption of mobile-first strategies has made price comparison services more accessible, driving higher engagement rates, especially among younger, tech-savvy consumers. The ongoing innovation in user experience design and the implementation of secure payment gateways have further enhanced consumer trust and loyalty toward these platforms.

The expanding scope of PCWs beyond traditional product categories is also a key growth factor. Initially focused on electronics and consumer goods, price comparison websites have diversified into sectors such as travel, insurance, financial services, and utilities. This diversification has opened up new revenue streams and attracted a broader user base. For instance, travel comparison sites are now instrumental in helping consumers find the best deals on flights, hotels, and car rentals, while insurance and financial services comparison platforms empower users to make informed choices about policies and investment options. The ability to compare a wide range of products and services on a single platform not only enhances user convenience but also positions PCWs as indispensable tools in the modern digital economy.

Regionally, the market for price comparison websites shows strong growth across North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific, with each region exhibiting unique adoption patterns and growth drivers. In North America, high internet penetration and a mature e-commerce landscape have fostered widespread acceptance of PCWs. Europe, with its diverse retail ecosystem and stringent consumer protection regulations, has also witnessed substantial growth. Meanwhile, the Asia Pacific region is emerging as a high-growth market, propelled by rapid digitalization, increasing smartphone usage, and a burgeoning middle class. The competitive dynamics in these regions are shaped by local consumer preferences, regulatory environments, and the presence of regional and global players, making the PCWs market a dynamic and evolving space worldwide.

Graph and download economic data for Global price of Coffee, Other Mild Arabica (PCOFFOTMUSDM) from Jan 1990 to Apr 2025 about coffee, World, and price.

Gasoline fell to 2.10 USD/Gal on July 23, 2025, down 0.37% from the previous day. Over the past month, Gasoline's price has fallen 0.23%, and is down 13.96% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Gasoline - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

Aluminum fell to 2,649.55 USD/T on July 23, 2025, down 0.29% from the previous day. Over the past month, Aluminum's price has risen 2.86%, and is up 15.17% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Aluminum - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

Sugar fell to 16.28 USd/Lbs on July 22, 2025, down 0.55% from the previous day. Over the past month, Sugar's price has risen 1.81%, but it is still 10.42% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Sugar - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

Natural gas fell to 3.25 USD/MMBtu on July 22, 2025, down 2.13% from the previous day. Over the past month, Natural gas's price has fallen 14.59%, but it is still 48.80% higher than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Natural gas - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.