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Pattern recognition in social expenditure and social expenditure performance in EU 28 countries

Author

Listed:
  • Jorge De Andrés-Sánchez

    (Social and Business Research Group, University of Rovira i Virgili, Campus de Bellisens, Av. de Universitat 4, 43204 Reus, Tarragona, Spain)

  • Ángel Belzunegui-Eraso

    (Social and Business Research Group, University of Rovira i Virgili, Campus de Bellisens, Av. de Universitat 4, 43204 Reus, Tarragona, Spain)

  • Francesc Valls-Fonayet

    (Social and Business Research Group, University of Rovira i Virgili, Campus de Bellisens, Av. de Universitat 4, 43204 Reus, Tarragona, Spain)

Abstract

The relationship between social expenditure, on the one hand, and poverty or income inequality indicators, on the other, focuses a great interest in the literature on welfare systems. In this paper, we evaluate the efficiency of the social transfer policies of the EU-28 states between 2011 and 2015 using deterministic and stochastic frontier models. Using the fuzzy clustering methods, we identify the patterns in the size of welfare systems, which we measure from the value and efficiency of social expenditure. In this way, we identify four clusters. The first cluster comprises many EU-15 countries (normally the Continental and the Nordic welfare states); the second comprises nations that were integrated into the EU in the last 15 years (mostly the former Communist countries); the third cluster comprises the culturally and geographically heterogeneous countries, such as Hungary, Ireland, Croatia and Luxemburg (whose main characteristic is the high efficiency of their social expenditure); and finally, the fourth group basically comprises the southern European countries, whose social transfer policy effectiveness is rather weak.

Suggested Citation

  • Jorge De Andrés-Sánchez & Ángel Belzunegui-Eraso & Francesc Valls-Fonayet, 2020. "Pattern recognition in social expenditure and social expenditure performance in EU 28 countries," Acta Oeconomica, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 70(1), pages 37-61, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:aka:aoecon:v:70:y:2020:i:1:p:37-61
    DOI: 10.1556/032.2020.00003
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ivana Velkovska & Borce Trenovski, 2023. "Economic growth or social expenditure: what is more effective in decreasing poverty and income inequality in the EU - a panel VAR approach," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 47(1), pages 111-142.
    2. Jorge de Andrés-Sánchez & Angel Belzunegui-Eraso & Francesc Valls-Fonayet, 2021. "Assessing Efficiency of Public Poverty Policies in UE-28 with Linguistic Variables and Fuzzy Correlation Measures," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-25, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    welfare expenditures; income inequality; poverty risk; efficient frontiers; fuzzy clustering;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C49 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Other
    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs

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