Abstract
Europe is known for its well-developed welfare state, particularly if seen from the US American perspective. The GDP share of social expenditures of the EU15 countries in the year 2001 was 23.9 percent vis-à-vis 14.7 percent in the United States (OECD Factbook, 2006). Some think that the European welfare state is too large because it crowds out economic activities. Indeed, GDP per capita in the United States is almost 50 percent higher than the average of the EU15 countries; see Figure 2.1.
I am grateful for the comments by Sergio Nisticò, Anette Reil-Held, Christina Wilke and the participants of the Conference on Government Spending on the Elderly at the Levy Economics Institute at Bard College. Olga Novikova provided very able research assistance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Boeri, T., A. Boersch-Supan and G. Tabellini (2004) “How Would You Like To Reform Your Pension System? The Opinions of German and Italian citizens,” in R. Brooks and A. Razin (eds) Politics and Finance of Social Security Reform (Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press).
Boeri, T., A. Boersch-Supan and G. Tabellini (2002) “Would You Like To Reform the Pension System? The Opinions of European Citizens,” American Economic Review 92: 396–401.
Boeri, T., A. Boersch-Supan and G. Tabellini (2001) “Would You Like to Shrink the Welfare State? The Opinions of European Citizens,” Economic Policy 32: 7–50.
Bonsang, E., S. Perelman and K. van den Bosch (2005) “Income, Wealth and Consumption Inequality,” in Boersch-Supan et al. (eds) Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe–First Results From the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Mannheim, Germany: MEA).
Boersch-Supan, A. (2006) “Work Disability, Health and Incentive Effects” in D. Wise New Themes in the Economics of Aging (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press). Page: 14
Börsch-Supan, A., Heiss, F. und J. Winter, 2004, Akzeptanzprobleme bei Rentenreformen. Deutsches Institut für Altervorsorge, Köln 2004.
Brugiavini, A., E. Croda and F. Mariuzzo (2005) “Labour Force Participation of the Elderly: Unused Capacity?” in Boersch-Supan et al. (eds) Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe–First Results From the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Mannheim, Germany: MEA).
Esping-Andersen, G. (1990) The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press).
Esping-Andersen, G. (1999) Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economies (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Esping-Andersen, G. (2003) “A Welfare State For the 21st Century,” in A. Giddens (ed.) The Global Third Way Debate (Oxford: Polity Press), pp. 134–156.
Gruber, J. and D. Wise (1999) Social Security and Retirement Around the World (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).
Jürges, H. (2005) “Cross-Country Differences in General Health,” in Boersch-Supan, A. et al. (eds) Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe–First Results From the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Mannheim, Germany: MEA).
Mackenbach, J., M. Avendano, K. Andersen-Ranberg and A. R. Aro (2005) “Socio-Economic Sparities in Physical Health in 10 European Countries,” in Boersch-Supan, A. et al. (eds) Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe–First Results From the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Mannheim, Germany: MEA).
OECD (2006) OECD Factbook (Paris: OECD). Available online at: http://caliban.sourceoecd.org/vl=3040935/cl=12/nw=1/rpsv/factbook/
Wilke, C. B. (2006) “Income Levels of Individuals Aged 50 and Older: Effective and Comprehensive Replacement Rates Based on the SHARE Data.” Mimeo (Mannheim, Germany: Mannheim Research Institute for the Economics of Aging).
Boersch-Supan, A. (2006) “What Are NDC Systems? What Do They Bring to Reform Strategies?,” in R. Holzmann and E. Palmer (eds) Pension Reform–Issues and Prospects for Non-Financial Defined Contribution (NDC) Schemes (The World Bank).
Eurobarometer (2004) The Future of Pension Systems, Special Eurobarometer 161, wave 56.1, http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_161_pensions.pdf
Gronchi, S. and Nisticò, S. (2006) “Implementing the NDC Theoretical Model: a Comparison of Italy and Sweden,” in R. Holzmann and E. Palmer (eds) Pension Reform–Issues and Prospects for Non-Financial Defined Contribution (NDC) Schemes (The World Bank).
Holzmann, R. (2006) “Toward a Coordinated Pension System in Europe: Rationale and Potential Structure,” in R. Holzmann and E. Palmer (eds) Pension Reform–Issues and Prospects for Non-Financial Defined Contribution (NDC) Schemes (The World Bank).
Holzmann R. and E. Palmer (2006) Pension Reform–Issues and Prospects for NonFinancial Defined Contribution (NDC) Schemes (The World Bank).
Nisticò, S. (2005) “Consumption and Time in Economics: Prices and Quantities in a Temporary Equilibrium Perspective,” Cambridge Journal of Economics, 29 (6): 943–957.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2007 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Boersch-Supan, A., Nisticò, S. (2007). European Welfare State Regimes and Their Generosity toward the Elderly. In: Papadimitriou, D.B. (eds) Government Spending on the Elderly. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230591448_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230591448_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-35281-4
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-59144-8
eBook Packages: Palgrave Economics & Finance CollectionEconomics and Finance (R0)