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Neighborhoods and perceived social mobility: Evidence from Barcelona

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  • Domènech-Arumí, Gerard

Abstract

I study the association between neighborhood exposure to social mobility and perceived social mobility. I use social mobility estimates obtained by linking millions of children to their parents in income tax returns. I use data from an original survey conducted in Barcelona to elicit perceptions. I find no association between exposure to actual social mobility in the neighborhood and perceived social mobility, suggesting that individuals do not extrapolate from their local environments when forming their beliefs about social mobility.

Suggested Citation

  • Domènech-Arumí, Gerard, 2025. "Neighborhoods and perceived social mobility: Evidence from Barcelona," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:253:y:2025:i:c:s0165176525001855
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2025.112348
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alberto Alesina & Armando Miano & Stefanie Stantcheva, 2023. "Immigration and Redistribution," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(1), pages 1-39.
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    5. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren & Patrick Kline & Emmanuel Saez, 2014. "Where is the land of Opportunity? The Geography of Intergenerational Mobility in the United States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(4), pages 1553-1623.
    6. Domènech-Arumí, Gerard, 2025. "Neighborhoods, perceived Inequality, and preferences for Redistribution: Evidence from Barcelona," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    7. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren & Lawrence F. Katz, 2016. "The Effects of Exposure to Better Neighborhoods on Children: New Evidence from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(4), pages 855-902, April.
    8. Cruces, Guillermo & Perez-Truglia, Ricardo & Tetaz, Martin, 2013. "Biased perceptions of income distribution and preferences for redistribution: Evidence from a survey experiment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 100-112.
    9. Raj Chetty & John N. Friedman & Nathaniel Hendren & Maggie R. Jones & Sonya R. Porter, 2026. "The Opportunity Atlas: Mapping the Childhood Roots of Social Mobility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 116(1), pages 1-51, January.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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