Question

Pakistan’s GDP in 2010, using the official exchange rate on 1/1/2010, is equal to $300 billion USD ($300,000,000,000). When 2010 GDP is converted using the PPP-implied exchange rate on 1/1/2010, the USD value of the GDP increases to $500 billion ($500,000,000,000). On 1/1/2010, is the Pakistani Rupee overvalued or undervalued against the USD? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Answer:

Undervalued

Explanation:

The PPP exchange rate is the implicit exchange rate, so that everywhere, one dollar has the same purchasing power. In general, this exchange rate is different from the exchange rate on the market.

Because the same nominal GDP translates to a higher real GDP by using the PPP exchange rate, one Pakistan Rupee must be valued more in terms of U.S. dollars than in contexts of the market exchange rate under the PPP exchange rate. The Pakistan Rupee is therefore worth less than its true value in the economy, i.e., undervalued.