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Determinants of Elderly Poverty in 21 European Countries, 1995-2022

Author

Listed:
  • Koen Caminada
  • Kees Goudswaard
  • Qingqi Liu
  • Chen Wang
  • Jinxian Wang

Abstract

Relative poverty has, in general, become a popular source of interest for research and the public. However, only a few studies have focused on the determinants of relative poverty among the elderly in a comparative setting over time. To fill in this gap, this study decomposed relative poverty among the elderly in 21 European countries, namely Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Solvakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, based on micro data from the Luxembourg Income Study from around 1995 to around 2022. Various counterfactuals were constructed and simulated. The results showed that relative poverty among the elderly has decreased and is mainly associated with changes in the distribution of pubic pensions, followed by changes in the distribution of private pensions. Labor market factors, especially earnings, have become more povertydecreasing over time in most of the countries under study. Finally, the demographic structure played a positive role in driving relative poverty among the elderly.

Suggested Citation

  • Koen Caminada & Kees Goudswaard & Qingqi Liu & Chen Wang & Jinxian Wang, 2024. "Determinants of Elderly Poverty in 21 European Countries, 1995-2022," LIS Working papers 882, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:lis:liswps:882
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