AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BLACK MARKET EXCHANGE RATE IN IRAN

Abstract

The Iranian rial has been depreciated on average about 12 per cent per annum during the last four decades. This paper examines the long- and short-run determinants of the black market exchange rate employing the cointegration techniques and the annual time series data from 1960 to 2000. Broadly consistent with previous studies, it is found that the black market exchange rate is cointegrated with inflation, real GDP and the import price index. However, in the short run only high inflation and a meagre real growth in GDP are responsible for the depreciation of Iranian currency.