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Intergenerational top income mobility in Sweden: Capitalist dynasties in the land of equal opportunity?

Anders Bjorklund, Jesper Roine () and Daniel Waldenström

Journal of Public Economics, 2012, vol. 96, issue 5, 474-484

Abstract: This paper presents new evidence on intergenerational mobility at the top of the income and earnings distributions. Using a large dataset of matched father-son pairs in Sweden, we find that intergenerational transmission is very strong at the top, more so for income than for earnings. At the extreme top (top 0.1%) income transmission is remarkable with an intergenerational elasticity of approximately 0.9. We also study potential transmission mechanisms and find that IQ, non-cognitive skills and education of the sons are all unlikely channels in explaining the strong transmission. Within the top percentile, increases in the income of the fathers, if they are related at all, are negatively associated with these variables. Wealth, on the other hand, has a significantly positive association. Our results suggest that Sweden, known for having relatively high intergenerational mobility in general, is a society in which transmission remains strong at the very top of the distribution and wealth is the most likely channel.

Keywords: Intergenerational income mobility; Top incomes; Earnings inequality; Income inequality; Welfare state; Transmission mechanisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D31 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (115)

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Working Paper: Intergenerational Top Income Mobility in Sweden – Capitalist Dynasties in the Land of Equal Opportunity? (2010) Downloads
Working Paper: Intergenerational top income mobility in Sweden: Capitalist dynasties in the land of equal opportunity? (2010) Downloads
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:96:y:2012:i:5:p:474-484

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2012.02.003

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