Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/107608 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Citation: 
[Journal:] DIW Economic Bulletin [ISSN:] 2192-7219 [Volume:] 5 [Issue:] 8 [Publisher:] Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW) [Place:] Berlin [Year:] 2015 [Pages:] 103-111
Publisher: 
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Abstract: 
Overall monetary redistribution via the tax and transfer system leads to net incomes being much more evenly distributed in Germany than market income. As a result, in 2011, the Gini coefficient decreased from 0.5 for market income to 0.29 for household disposable income. The social security system has a significant share in total income redistribution by the government, making up more than half of the inequality reduction. As far as there are equivalent insurance contributions for social security benefits, there is, however, no redistribution between individuals or generations over time. This shows that, in terms of how well public transfers are targeted, the most financially needy households are benefitting most from means-tested basic social security payments. Other public benefits such as the child benefit, however, are granted to all income groups. It was primarily the upper income brackets that benefitted from the now expired housing support for owner-occupiers (Eigenheimzulage).
Subjects: 
redistribution of taxes and transfers
income distribution
SOEP
JEL: 
H24
H55
D31
Document Type: 
Article

Files in This Item:
File
Size
125.21 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.