Real Interest Rate Parity in Latin American Countries: Evidence from New Panel Unit Root Tests

Abstract

In this study, we test the empirical validity of the real interest rate parity hypothesis for 15 Latin American countries over the period 2005-2023. To this end, we employ a battery of panel unit root tests to examine stochastic properties of the real interest rate differentials (RIDs) of the countries under consideration. The panel unit root tests that allow for both the cross-sectional dependence and the nonlinearities in the adjustment process do not reject the null of unit root for the most of these countries, suggesting that the real interest rate parity hypothesis does not hold for these countries. On the other hand, the panel unit root test that allows for smooth structural changes produces results consistent with the real interest rate parity hypothesis for 12 out of 15 Latin American countries. These findings imply that various shocks, including political, economic, and financial upheavals, can cause significant structural shifts in the RIDs of Latin American countries.