Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/21248 
Year of Publication: 
2001
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 388
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper uses detailed diary information from the British Family Expenditure Survey (FES) to investigate the expenditure patterns of school-age children. We estimate a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System, and find that, whilst most commodities are normal goods, sweets and toys are luxury items for children. Children of lone parents have lower budget shares for expenditure on soft drinks, leisure, personal goods and books/magazines, but higher budget shares for expenditure on sweets and vice products (alcohol, cigarettes and gambling). Having a working mother increases child expenditure on food products and toys. A higher parental budget share, on any given commodity, is generally associated with an increased child budget share suggesting that children mimic their parent?s expenditure patterns.
Subjects: 
Child expenditure
quadratic almost ideal demand system
lone parents
working mothers
sibling composition
JEL: 
D12
J13
D11
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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