IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/gmf/wpaper/2016-09..html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The relationship between social transfers and poverty reduction: A nonparametric approach for the EU-27

Author

Listed:
  • Nuno Baetas da Silva

    (Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra, Grupo de Estudos Monetários e Financeiros (GEMF))

  • João Sousa Andrade

    (Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra, Grupo de Estudos Monetários e Financeiros (GEMF))

Abstract

Poverty reduction is one of the most important goals of developed welfare states. Among others, expenditures on social transfers consist in an important instrument for that goal. Using a nonparametric panel data model for the EU-27, for the period 2003-2013, this article studies the role of social transfers in combating poverty, allowing for the detection of saturation points and structural breaks between periods. Controlling for demographic and economic conditions specific to each country, we find a positive relationship between poverty gains and social transfers for values below 27% of GDP. Above that saturation point, expenditures on social transfers describe a situation of total inefficiency. The results suggest that Finland, Hungary and Luxembourg are the most efficient countries in reducing poverty via social transfers, whereas Greece, Portugal and Spain are the least efficient among the EU-27. We also conclude that social transfers are less efficient in the crisis period (2008-2013).

Suggested Citation

  • Nuno Baetas da Silva & João Sousa Andrade, 2016. "The relationship between social transfers and poverty reduction: A nonparametric approach for the EU-27," GEMF Working Papers 2016-09, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    • Handle: RePEc:gmf:wpaper:2016-09.
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://repec.uc.pt/gmf/wpaper/wpgemf/gemf_2016-09.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pagan,Adrian & Ullah,Aman, 1999. "Nonparametric Econometrics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521355643.
    2. Racine, Jeff & Li, Qi, 2004. "Nonparametric estimation of regression functions with both categorical and continuous data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 99-130, March.
    3. Longford, Nicholas T. & Nicodemo, Catia, 2010. "The Contribution of Social Transfers to the Reduction of Poverty," IZA Discussion Papers 5223, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Li, Qi & Racine, Jeff, 2003. "Nonparametric estimation of distributions with categorical and continuous data," Journal of Multivariate Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 266-292, August.
    5. Henderson,Daniel J. & Parmeter,Christopher F., 2015. "Applied Nonparametric Econometrics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521279680.
    6. Koen Caminada & Kees Goudswaard, 2009. "Effectiveness of Poverty Reduction in the EU: A Descriptive Analysis," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(2), pages 1-49, July.
    7. Hayfield, Tristen & Racine, Jeffrey S., 2008. "Nonparametric Econometrics: The np Package," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 27(i05).
    8. Hsiao, Cheng & Li, Qi & Racine, Jeffrey S., 2007. "A consistent model specification test with mixed discrete and continuous data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 802-826, October.
    9. Jeffery Racine & Jeffrey Hart & Qi Li, 2006. "Testing the Significance of Categorical Predictor Variables in Nonparametric Regression Models," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(4), pages 523-544.
    10. Li, Qi & Racine, Jeffrey S, 2008. "Nonparametric Estimation of Conditional CDF and Quantile Functions With Mixed Categorical and Continuous Data," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 26, pages 423-434.
    11. Henderson, Daniel J. & Carroll, Raymond J. & Li, Qi, 2008. "Nonparametric estimation and testing of fixed effects panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 144(1), pages 257-275, May.
    12. Arellano, M, 1987. "Computing Robust Standard Errors for Within-Groups Estimators," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 49(4), pages 431-434, November.
    13. Racine, Jeffrey S., 2008. "Nonparametric Econometrics: A Primer," Foundations and Trends(R) in Econometrics, now publishers, vol. 3(1), pages 1-88, March.
    14. Beckerman, W, 1979. "The Impact of Income Maintenance Payments on Poverty in Britain, 1975," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 89(354), pages 261-279, June.
    15. Nanak Kakwani & Jacques Silber (ed.), 2008. "Quantitative Approaches to Multidimensional Poverty Measurement," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-58235-4.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ivana Velkovska & Borce Trenovski, 2023. "Economic growth or social expenditure: what is more effective in decreasing poverty and income inequality in the EU - a panel VAR approach," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 47(1), pages 111-142.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tomasz Gerard Czekaj & Arne Henningsen, 2012. "Comparing Parametric and Nonparametric Regression Methods for Panel Data: the Optimal Size of Polish Crop Farms," IFRO Working Paper 2012/12, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    2. Qi Li & Jeffrey Scott Racine, 2006. "Nonparametric Econometrics: Theory and Practice," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 8355.
    3. Simar, Leopold & Zelenyuk, Valentin, 2011. "To Smooth or Not to Smooth? The Case of Discrete Variables in Nonparametric Regressions," LIDAM Discussion Papers ISBA 2011042, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
    4. Hayfield, Tristen & Racine, Jeffrey S., 2008. "Nonparametric Econometrics: The np Package," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 27(i05).
    5. Das, Sonali & Racine, Jeffrey S., 2018. "Interactive nonparametric analysis of nonlinear systems," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 510(C), pages 290-301.
    6. Henderson, Daniel J. & Papageorgiou, Chris & Parmeter, Christopher F., 2013. "Who benefits from financial development? New methods, new evidence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 47-67.
    7. Ekpeno L. Effiong & Emmanuel E. Asuquo, 2017. "Migrants' Remittances, Governance and Heterogeneity," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 535-554, October.
    8. Tomasz Czekaj & Arne Henningsen, 2013. "Panel Data Specifications in Nonparametric Kernel Regression: An Application to Production Functions," IFRO Working Paper 2013/5, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    9. Mengistu Assefa Wendimu & Arne Henningsen & Tomasz Gerard Czekaj, 2017. "Incentives and moral hazard: plot level productivity of factory-operated and outgrower-operated sugarcane production in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 48(5), pages 549-560, September.
    10. repec:jss:jstsof:27:i05 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Besstremyannaya, Galina, 2015. "Measuring the effect of health insurance companies on the quality of healthcare systems with kernel and parametric regressions," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 38(2), pages 3-20.
    12. Arribas Ivan & Perez Francisco & Tortosa-Ausina Emili, 2010. "The Determinants of International Financial Integration Revisited: The Role of Networks and Geographic Neutrality," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 15(1), pages 1-55, December.
    13. Chu, Chi-Yang & Henderson, Daniel J. & Parmeter, Christopher F., 2017. "On discrete Epanechnikov kernel functions," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 79-105.
    14. Chuku Chuku & Kenneth Onye & Hycent Ajah, 2017. "Structural and Institutional Determinants of Investment Activity in Africa," Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development, in: Diery Seck (ed.), Investment and Competitiveness in Africa, pages 25-50, Springer.
    15. Lee, Andrew C. & Kim, Man-Keun, 2011. "Captive Supply Impact On The U.S. Fed Cattle Price: An Application Of Nonparametric Analysis," Journal of Rural Development/Nongchon-Gyeongje, Korea Rural Economic Institute, vol. 34(4), pages 1-13, October.
    16. Christopher F. Parmeter & Valentin Zelenyuk, 2019. "Combining the Virtues of Stochastic Frontier and Data Envelopment Analysis," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 67(6), pages 1628-1658, November.
    17. Haupt, Harry & Schnurbus, Joachim & Semmler, Willi, 2018. "Estimation of grouped, time-varying convergence in economic growth," Econometrics and Statistics, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 141-158.
    18. Galina Besstremyannaya, 2014. "Urban inequity in the performance of social health insurance system: evidence from Russian regions," Working Papers w0204, Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR).
    19. Mariam Camarero & Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Cecilio Tamarit, 2017. "External imbalances and growth," Working Papers 2017/02, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    20. Geraldine Henningsen & Arne Henningsen & Christian Henning, 2015. "Transaction costs and social networks in productivity measurement," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 493-515, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Poverty measure; social transfers; efficiency and nonparametric econometrics. JEL Classification: C14; D61; H55; I3;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gmf:wpaper:2016-09.. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sofia Antunes (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cebucpt.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.