EconBase
← All papers

Inference for Forecasting Accuracy: Pooled versus Individual Estimators in High-dimensional Panel Data

Tim Kutta, Martin Schumann, Holger Dette

arXiv 17 Dec 2025 · Statistics — Methodology

arXiv:2512.15592 · PDF · Extracted main text

Abstract

Panels with large time $(T)$ and cross-sectional $(N)$ dimensions are a key data structure in social sciences and other fields. A central question in panel data analysis is whether to pool data across individuals or to estimate separate models. Pooled estimators typically have lower variance but may suffer from bias, creating a fundamental trade-off for optimal estimation. We develop a new inference method to compare the forecasting performance of pooled and individual estimators. Specifically, we propose a confidence interval for the difference between their forecasting errors and establish its asymptotic validity. Our theory allows for complex temporal and cross-sectional dependence in the model errors and covers scenarios where $N$ can be much larger than $T$-including the independent case under the classical condition $N/T^2 \to 0$. The finite-sample properties of the proposed method are examined in an extensive simulation study.

Citation extraction

26
references
45
in-text mentions
26
distinct cited
1
self-citations
8,193
main-text words

appendix boundary found by appendix_command · 39% of the source is main text. Read the extracted text to check this.

Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Pesaran, Hashem and Pick, Andreas and Timmermann, Allan (2022) Forecasting with Panel Data: Estimation Uncertainty Versus Parameter Heterogeneity0.874102100%
2M. H. Pesaran and Takashi Yamagata (2008) Testing slope homogeneity in large panels0.73732100%
3Tomohiro Ando and Jushan Bai (2015) A simple new test for slope homogeneity in panel data models with interactive effects0.64422100%
4P. A. V. B. Swamy (1970) Efficient Inference in a Random Coefficient Regression Model0.51121100%
5Blomquist, Johan and Westerlund, Joakim (2016) Panel bootstrap tests of slope homogeneity0.40511100%
6Murillo Campello and Antonio F. Galvao and Ted Juhl (2019) Testing for Slope Heterogeneity Bias in Panel Data Models0.40511100%
7Mokkadem, A (1988) Mixing properties of ARMA processes0.40511100%
8Arnold Zellner (1962) An Efficient Method of Estimating Seemingly Unrelated Regressions and Tests for Aggregation Bias0.40511100%
9Baltagi, Badi H and Bresson, Georges and Pirotte, Alain (2008) To pool or not to pool?0.40511100%
10R. C. Bradley (2007) Introduction to Strong Mixing Conditions0.40511100%

Showing the top 10 of 26 scored citations.