Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana, Development Solutions Associates and CERGE-EI, 1001 Tirana, Albania.
Faculty of Economics and Agribusiness, Agricultural University of Tirana, Development Solutions Associates and CERGE-EI, 1029 Tirana, Albania.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jan 9;17(2):432. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17020432.
This paper analyzes the determinant factors of tobacco consumption in Albania, which is one of the countries with the highest smoking prevalence in Europe. To empirically estimate the elasticity of cigarettes demand in Albania, the paper uses the Living Standard Measurement Survey (LSMS) applying Deaton's (1988) demand model. This paper estimates an Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS), which allows disentangling quality choice from exogenous price variations using unit values from cigarette consumption. Following Deaton's model, the results suggest that the demand for tobacco is inelastic, with a price elasticity of -0.57. The price elasticity appears to be within the range of elasticity estimates frequently reported for low- and middle-income countries. The results suggest that total expenditure, household size, male-to-female ratio, and adult ratio are important determinants of tobacco demand in Albania. The increase in the tobacco price, which has been mainly driven by increased excises, has demonstrated a significant impact on reducing tobacco consumption. Consequently, the Albanian government may engage in gradual increases in excise taxes given the inelastic tobacco demand.
本文分析了阿尔巴尼亚烟草消费的决定因素，阿尔巴尼亚是欧洲吸烟率最高的国家之一。为了从经验上估计阿尔巴尼亚香烟需求的弹性，本文采用了生活水平衡量调查（LSMS），应用了迪顿（1988）的需求模型。本文估计了一个近似理想的需求系统（AIDS），该系统允许使用香烟消费的单位值从外生价格变化中分离出质量选择。按照迪顿的模型，结果表明烟草需求缺乏弹性，价格弹性为-0.57。价格弹性似乎在经常报告的低收入和中等收入国家的弹性估计范围内。结果表明，总支出、家庭规模、男女比例和成年人比例是阿尔巴尼亚烟草需求的重要决定因素。烟草价格的上涨主要是由增加的消费税推动的，这已经对减少烟草消费产生了显著影响。因此，鉴于烟草需求缺乏弹性，阿尔巴尼亚政府可能会逐步提高消费税。
