Theoretical cost of living

It refers to the cost of living obtained by theoretically approaching it through labor science, life science, etc. It is a concept that contrasts with actual cost of living, which is the cost of living based on actual household surveys such as the "Household Income and Expenditure Survey" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (formerly the Management and Coordination Agency) and the "Consumption Trend Survey" by the Cabinet Office (formerly the Economic Planning Agency). There are two methods for calculating theoretical cost of living: the full quantity method, which determines a theoretical standard for all household items and adds them up to calculate the cost of living, and the half quantity method, which theoretically calculates only food and drink, and then calculates the cost of living by working backwards from the Engel coefficient based on this.

Examples of theoretical cost of living in Japan include the "theoretical cost of living" once presented by the General Council of Japanese Trade Unions (SOHYO) as a basis for workers' demands for wage increases, the "standard cost of living" presented by the National Personnel Authority and the personnel committees of local governments in conjunction with recommendations for salary revisions for public servants, and the "standard cost of living" established in 1971 by Naomichi Funabashi as the cost of living for a family of four, including cultural aspects. Various theoretical cost of livings have also been created in other countries, and are used as the minimum cost of living for public assistance and as a standard for labor union wage demands. However, problems have been pointed out with theoretical cost of living, such as the fact that its size and content vary depending on the assumed living conditions, and that it cannot fully respond to the diversification of lifestyles and changes in consumption structures.

[Kounosuke Koizumi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

労働科学、生活科学などによって理論的に接近して得た生計費をいう。総務省（旧総務庁）の「家計調査」や内閣府（旧経済企画庁）の「消費動向調査」などのように、実際の家計調査による生計費を実態生計費というのに対比される概念である。理論生計費の算定方法には、家計費目のすべてにわたって理論的な標準を決め、それを積み上げて生計費を算定する全物量方式と、飲食物についてだけ理論的に算出し、これをもとにエンゲル係数から逆算して生計費を算定する半物量方式とがある。

　わが国における理論生計費の例としては、日本労働組合総評議会（総評）がかつて労働者の賃上げ要求額の根拠として示した「理論生計費」、人事院や地方公共団体の人事委員会が公務員給与改定勧告に付随して示す「標準生計費」、1971年（昭和46）に船橋尚道(なおみち)が文化的内容を盛り込んだ4人家族の生計費として設定した「基準生計費」などがある。諸外国においても各種の理論生計費が作成され、公的扶助の最低生活費や労働組合の賃金要求の基準などに利用されている。しかし、理論生計費には、その大きさや内容が想定する生活状態をどこに求めるかによって異なってくること、生活内容の多様化や消費構造の変化に対応しきれないこと、などの問題点も指摘されている。

［小泉幸之助］

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