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The Decline in Intergenerational Mobility in Post-Socialist Bulgaria

Author

Listed:
  • Tom Hertz
  • Mieke Meurs

    (Department of Economics, American University)

  • Sibel Selcuk

Abstract

Economists studying developing and transition economies have recently drawn attention to the problem of intergenerational immobility, or the high rate of transmission of inequality from parent to child (World Bank 2005). One readily estimable measure of this intergenerational persistence of economic status is the degree of association between the educational attainment of parents and children. This paper documents that the strength of this association has doubled in Bulgaria since the end of socialism, particularly between 1995 and 2001. For children of lesswell-educated parents, this has corresponded to an absolute decline in average educational attainment. These changes, which imply a steep decline in intergenerational social mobility, relate to children educated during a period of economic depression and of significant reductions in public spending on education, which led to school closures and shortages of materials, along with increases in out-of-pocket costs and distances to school. On the demand side, interview evidence suggests that the rise in unemployment among those with secondary education has lowered the expected benefits of schooling. We conclude that changing educational policies and priorities, along with depressed economic conditions, have had an important negative effect on equality of educational opportunity.

Suggested Citation

  • Tom Hertz & Mieke Meurs & Sibel Selcuk, 2007. "The Decline in Intergenerational Mobility in Post-Socialist Bulgaria," Working Papers 2007-14, American University, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:amu:wpaper:1407
    DOI: 10.17606/z8p1-tv44
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    File URL: https://doi.org/10.17606/z8p1-tv44
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    Cited by:

    1. Claver Sanz, Raúl, 2022. "¿Cómo evoluciona el nivel educativo entre generaciones en Asia (Pacífico y Oriente Medio)? [How is educational attainment evolving between generations in Asia (Pacific and Middle East)?]," MPRA Paper 111792, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Claver Sanz, Raúl, 2022. "Movilidad entre generaciones en países africanos: evidencia para la educación [Intergenerational mobility in African countries: evidence for education]," MPRA Paper 111678, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Claver Sanz, Raúl, 2022. "La transmisión intergeneracional de educación: evidencia en América Latina (1870 – 2010) [The Intergenerational Transmission of Education: Evidence from Latin America (1870 - 2010)]," MPRA Paper 111434, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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