Nominal interest, real interest, and inflation calculations | AP Macroeconomics | Khan Academy

by | Mar 22, 2023 | Invest During Inflation | 26 comments

Nominal interest, real interest, and inflation calculations | AP Macroeconomics | Khan Academy




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Inflation is a common term in economics and refers to the rate at which prices of goods and services increase over time. In effect, inflation reduces the value of money over time. This value reduction is consistent with the nominal and real interest rates. The nominal interest rate is a percentage figure, which measures the rate at which the money invested will grow over a given period, disregarding the effects of inflation. Meanwhile, the real interest rate is the raw amount earned after inflation is factored in.

Nominal interest rates and real interest rates are distinctly different. Nominal interest rates don’t account for inflation rates, while the real interest rates do. The difference between the two is a concept known as inflation risk. However, both nominal and real interest rates are essential in determining economic conditions.

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A nominal interest rate assumes that inflation doesn’t exist or won’t have a substantial impact on a particular investment. It’s the baseline of interest rates, usually referred as the quoted interest rate. Nominal rates determine the investor’s earned percentage for every dollar invested or lent without adding inflation, which means that if inflation is rarely constant or changes, the actual or real profit earned may quickly become unsatisfactory.

Real interest rates, on the other hand, directly incorporate inflation. They measure the purchasing power of the investments after accounting for inflation. The real interest rate is the nominal interest rate minus the expected inflation rate. A higher real interest rate indicates that the investment gains in purchasing power over the given period, while a lower real interest rate indicates the investment loses purchasing power.

To better understand the dynamics of nominal, real interests, and inflation, an example would suffice. For instance, let’s assume that a person borrows $1000 and promises to pay back $1100 after a year. The nominal interest rate here is 10% (1100-1000/1000*100). But then, the inflation rate is 5%, so the real interest rate is 5% (10-5). This implies that after accounting for inflation, the lender will only earn 5% on their investment.

The concept of nominal interest, real interest, and inflation calculations are an integral aspect of macroeconomic analysis. It’s imperative to understand how they work to make informed decisions on investments or financial decisions.

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26 Comments

  1. Lina El Moutaki

    I really don't understand, PLEASE HELP. if real interest rate take into account inflation, why do we subtract it. It doesn't make sense to me, I feel like the equation should be : real interest rate = nominal rate of return + inflation. Please @KhanAcademy or anyone 🙁

  2. Anonymous

    What an explanation! Impressed!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Ahmed Al Zadjali

    Hey I have a general question in Economics.
    lets says country’s current inflation is 8% and the target is to set it at 2%.
    The question is: The average interest rate you get on the bonds you purchased is 2% Are you making a profit in the “nominal” term? Why?

  4. lethalexponent 6

    I took economics, personal finance and general business in high school and somehow never learned about this

  5. MikoAbong

    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." –Einstein

  6. 子 阳

    Need more people so spread this video more

  7. Aastha Jain

    If there is no inflation present, the real rate and the nominal rate would be the same?

  8. Rajesh Naidu

    Understanding the definitions in the text book is like deciphering a code. This is a really great and simple explanation.

  9. Comrade

    You've explained in 3 minutes what I didn't understand from my books in 3 hours. Thank you.

  10. Daphne Dominique

    Thank you for explaining this concept in layman's terms. Thank you

  11. LittlePip

    How do you find the NIR and RIR if neither are given?

    Question is you deposit 2,000 in a savings account and a year later you have 2,100. Meanwhile the CPI raises from 200-204. In this case the nominal interest rate is __ and the real interest rate is _____.

    You cant find the nir and rir using these equations because there is none given. The only way I could find them was by using inflation. Nominal is dollars and the real is CPI
    So the correct answer is 5% and 3%

    But the book doesnt go over how to get to this conclusion at all. Or if I just somehow got lucky and the inflation happened to be the same answer.

  12. bi0lizard1

    I NEVER want to be more mathematically precise.

  13. S D

    1:53 Thank you for this. I have been going nuts over the past 15 minutes to figure out why some sources are calculating the real rate of return differently than others.

  14. Catherine Joy Avelino

    Good day. Your video is very well explained and easy to understand.
    I just have one question. If there is another predicted inflation in the future.
    I should just add the current inflation and the predicted inflation?

  15. Portal Rifter

    Anyone in the 7th grade learning about interest…yaaaaasaaaayyy. (Grumble).

  16. Rajan96

    Hi there,

    Thanks for the great video. Could you tell me what you use for the video I mean the software?

    Thanks.

  17. Easton Hubbard

    thanks for keeping this simple and quick. My textbook over explains it and complicates this.

  18. Leandra Jones

    Can you explain more detail on why it's 1.05 / 1.02, please ? what did you take the 1.0294 calculated from to arrive at the 2.94?

  19. A A

    Hey @KhanAcademy, now do this for deflationary scenario with inflation of -3%. Please explain why the resulting higher real interest rate is bad from the perspective of the FED who wants zero rates so that people and busnisses can borrow.

  20. MA G

    great video!

  21. Mana

    Thank you and subscribed

  22. Madeline

    Can you explain more detail on why it's 1.05 / 1.02, please?

    Thank you ever so much

  23. Thomas Ward

    The textbook I am working from was written by the professor and is incredibly dense, thank you for explaining this in a simplistic way.

  24. itsnrv

    what if my real interest rate comes out with a negative number? do i run with that?

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