Social security, demographic trends, and economic growth: theory and evidence from the international experience

"The worldwide problem with pay-as-you-go (PAYG) social security systems isn't just financial. This study indicates that these systems may have exerted adverse effects on key demographic factors, private savings, and long-term growth rates. Through a comprehensive endogenous-growth model w...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ehrlich, Isaac 1938- (Author), Kim, Jinyoung 1957- (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2005
Series:National Bureau of Economic Research <Cambridge, Mass.>: NBER working paper series 11121
Subjects:
Online Access:Volltext
Summary:"The worldwide problem with pay-as-you-go (PAYG) social security systems isn't just financial. This study indicates that these systems may have exerted adverse effects on key demographic factors, private savings, and long-term growth rates. Through a comprehensive endogenous-growth model where human capital is the engine of growth, family choices affect human capital formation, and family formation itself is a choice variable, we show that social security taxes and benefits can create adverse incentive effects on family formation and subsequent household choices, and that these effects cannot be fully neutralized by counteracting intergenerational transfers within families. We implement the model using calibrated simulations as well as panel data from 57 countries over 32 years (1960-92). We find that PAYG tax measures account for a sizeable part of the downward trends in family formation and fertility worldwide, and for a slowdown in the rates of savings and economic growth, especially in OECD countries"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Physical Description:32, [16] S.

There is no print copy available.

Interlibrary loan Place Request Caution: Not in THWS collection! Get full text