Adding a New Country

This page outlines the required steps and code modifications when introducing a new country into the model.

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1. Add country-specific input files

The following files need to be generated and then added to the country-specific input folder:

1. Data Files (not uploaded to GitHub)

• InitialPopulations
• EUROMODoutput

2. Estimation .xlsx Files

• Regression estimates of the processes:

  • reg_education.xlsx
  • reg_employmentSelection.xlsx
  • reg_fertility.xlsx
  • reg_health.xlsx
  • reg_home_ownership.xlsx
  • reg_income.xlsx
  • reg_labourSupplyUtility.xlsx
  • reg_leaveParentalHome.xlsx
  • reg_partnership.xlsx
  • reg_retirement.xlsx
  • reg_RMSE.xlsx
  • reg_wages.xlsx

• Alignment targets:

  • policy_parameters.xlsx
  • align_educLevel.xlsx
  • align_popProjections.xlsx
  • align_student_under30.xlsx

• Mortality and fertility projections

  • projections_mortality.xlsx
  • projections_fertility.xlsx

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2. Update Country-Specific Parameters

In the country-specific folder:

• columns_number_parameters.xlsx
• parameters.xlsx
  Likely parameters to modify:
  • MIN_WORK_HOURS_WEEKLY
  • LO_INCOME, HI_INCOME (used in KeyFunction2.java)
  • MAX_LABOUR_HOURS_IN_WEEK
  • MIN_HOURLY_WAGE_RATE
  • SAVINGS_RATE

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3. Update Code

The following classes are likely to be adjsuted:

• Labour.java → add new labour categories
• LabourMarket.java → add new region enums
• Country.java → add new country specification
• Region.java → add new region enums
• Parameters.java → set correct String rgn based on countryString (easy to miss!)
• SimPathsMultiRun.java and SimPathsStart.java → add new country specification when loading lastDatabaseCountryAndYear
• BenefitUnit.java → add new regional and labour categories enum Regressors
• Person.java → add new regional variables
• .gitignore → update to exclude new country-specific data: InitialPopulations, EUROMODoutput, tax_donor_populations

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4. Important Notes

Make sure all regression estimates are available; otherwise, need to adjust the SimPaths code accordingly.

Existing Major Differences Between EU Models

• Italy (IT)
  • has 5 labour categories in total: "ZERO" plus 4 additional categories with gender heterogeneity.
• Hungary (HU), Greece (EL), Poland (PL)
  • have 4 labour categories in total: "ZERO" plus 3 additional categories with no gender heterogeneity.
• Greece (EL)
  • Missing fertility process F1a, requiring adjustments in:
    • Fertility expectations in ExpectationsFactory.java
    • Probability of giving birth in Person.java

Several important parameters are configured in SimPathsModel.java:

• alignment flags
• maxAge
• timeTrendStopsIn
• timeTrendStopsInMonetaryProcesses

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Summary

When adding a new country, you’ll need to update data files, estimation .xlsx files, country parameters, .gitignore, and multiple core classes (Person.java, BenefitUnit.java, Labour.java, LabourMarket.java, Country.java, Region.java, Parameters.java, SimPaths*.java).