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The making and unmaking of opportunity: educational mobility in 20th‐century Denmark

Author

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  • Kristian B. Karlson
  • Rasmus Landersø

Abstract

We examine trends in intergenerational educational mobility throughout the 20th century in Denmark. We demonstrate that major reforms in compulsory schooling substantially increased not only the levels of education but also intergenerational mobility in education for children born in the 1940s through to the 1960s. However, even as college education has expanded significantly for children born in the 1970s and 1980s, educational mobility has been declining. We empirically test different mechanisms that could account for this decline in educational mobility.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristian B. Karlson & Rasmus Landersø, 2025. "The making and unmaking of opportunity: educational mobility in 20th‐century Denmark," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 127(1), pages 178-212, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:127:y:2025:i:1:p:178-212
    DOI: 10.1111/sjoe.12567
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    Cited by:

    1. Landersø, Rasmus & Karlson, Kristian Bernt, 2025. "Intergenerational Educational Mobility among Immigrants and Descendants in Denmark: The Role of Sample Selectivity and Data Quality," SocArXiv sq6e3_v1, Center for Open Science.
    2. Jo Blanden & Matthias Doepke & Jan Stuhler, 2022. "Education inequality," CEP Discussion Papers dp1849, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. Heckman, James J. & Landersø, Rasmus, 2021. "Lessons from Denmark about Inequality and Social Mobility," IZA Discussion Papers 14185, IZA Network @ LISER.
    4. Martha Bailey & Paul Mohnen & A.R. Shariq Mohammed, 2026. "The Evolution of U.S. Educational Mobility over the 20th Century and the Role of Public Education," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2026-1, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    5. Julia Baarck & Moritz Bode & Andreas Peichl, 2025. "Rising Inequality, Declining Mobility: The Evolution of Intergenerational Mobility in Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 12058, CESifo.
    6. Landersø, Rasmus & Karlson, Kristian B., 2025. "Intergenerational Educational Mobility Among Immigrants and Descendants in Denmark: The Role of Sample Selectivity and Data Quality," IZA Discussion Papers 18284, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Eshaghnia, Sadegh S. M. & Heckman, James J. & Landersø, Rasmus & Qureshi, Rafeh, 2022. "Intergenerational Transmission of Family Influence," IZA Discussion Papers 15504, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Grebol, Ricard & Machelett, Margarita & Stuhler, Jan & Villanueva, Ernesto, 2025. "Assortative Mating, Inequality, and Rising Educational Mobility in Spain," IZA Discussion Papers 18351, IZA Network @ LISER.
    9. Heckman, James & Landersø, Rasmus, 2022. "Lessons for Americans from Denmark about inequality and social mobility," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    10. Callaway, Julia & Strozza, Cosmo & Jóhannsson, Óskar Daði, 2026. "Incidence of dementia diagnosis in Denmark, 1986–2023: an age-period-cohort analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 392(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H00 - Public Economics - - General - - - General
    • I00 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General - - - General
    • J00 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - General

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