Informing Water Policies with a Residential Water Demand Function: The Case of Serbia

Abstract

We provide the first estimate of a household water demand function in Serbia. The econometric model is estimated on a panel dataset made of the 25 Serbian districts (oblasts) covering years 2009 to 2012. Our estimates reveal a price elasticity of the Serbian household water demand varying between -0.2 and -0.9, depending on the model considered. We also demonstrate how the household water demand function can inform water policies in a prospective context. Using our estimates, we explore some possible future patterns of regional household water consumption in Serbia.

Keywords

• Residential Water Demand
• Price Elasticity
• Water Policy
• Serbia