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The Different Sources of Intergenerational Income Mobility in High‐ and Low‐Income Families

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  • Anders Hjorth‐Trolle
  • Rasmus Landersø

Abstract

This paper studies intergenerational income mobility using register data for 630,000 Danish children and their parents. We document substantial mobility differences across parents' income levels. Decomposing the mobility estimates shows that for children from low‐income families, intergenerational income persistence is exclusively explained by parents' influence on children's employment. As parents' income increases, education becomes an increasingly dominant factor, except among children from the top 5% where intergenerational income persistence is driven by capital income likely through bequests and business contacts. Finally, we find that progressive public transfers such as those in Denmark suppress the importance of intergenerational transmission of employment. (99)

Suggested Citation

  • Anders Hjorth‐Trolle & Rasmus Landersø, 2025. "The Different Sources of Intergenerational Income Mobility in High‐ and Low‐Income Families," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(7), pages 803-813, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:japmet:v:40:y:2025:i:7:p:803-813
    DOI: 10.1002/jae.70005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ferreira, Francisco H. G. & Brunori, Paolo & Neidhofer, Guido & Salas-Rojo, Pedro & Sirugue, Louis, 2025. "Inherited Inequality in Latin America," IZA Discussion Papers 18254, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Andrea Del Pizzo & Martin Nybom & Jan Stuhler, 2026. "Indirect Estimators of Intergenerational Mobility," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 26137, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).

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