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A Comparison of National Saving Rates in the UK, US and Italy

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  • Tatiana Kirsanova

    (Department of Economics, University of Exeter)

  • James Sefton

    (Imperial College)

Abstract

We develop the approach of Gokhale et al. (1996), based on the life-cycle model of savings, to decompose the di?erences in the national saving rates between the UK, US and Italy. Our work suggests that the US saving rate is lower principally because Americans on average retire later. In contrast, the Italian saving rate is higher predominantly because Italians are credit constrained, particularly when young. We also found that demography and the di?erent tax and bene?t systems are able to explain little of the cross-sectional di?erences in saving rates. The study accounts for the possible importance of intergenerational private transfers in determining saving rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Tatiana Kirsanova & James Sefton, 2006. "A Comparison of National Saving Rates in the UK, US and Italy," Discussion Papers 0612, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:exe:wpaper:0612
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    Cited by:

    1. van de Coevering, Clement & Foster, Daniel & Haunit, Paula & Kennedy, Cathal & Meagher, Sarah & Van den Berg, Jennie, 2006. "Estimating economic and social welfare impacts of pension reform," MPRA Paper 1623, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Clovis Kerdrain & Isabell Koske & Isabelle Wanner, 2011. "Current Account Imbalances: can Structural Reforms Help to Reduce Them?," OECD Journal: Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2011(1), pages 1-44.
    3. Kirsanova, Tatiana & Sefton, James, 2007. "A comparison of national saving rates in the UK, US and Italy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(8), pages 1998-2028, November.
    4. Néstor Gandelman, 2017. "Do the rich save more in Latin America?," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(1), pages 75-92, March.
    5. Magdalena Osinska & Kinga Wasilewska, 2020. "Students’ Attitudes Towards Savings and Investment: The Case of Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 1068-1085.
    6. John Ashton & Andros Gregoriou & Jerome V. Healy, 2013. "The relative influence of price and choice factors on retail deposit quantities," Working Papers 13006, Bangor Business School, Prifysgol Bangor University (Cymru / Wales).
    7. Wolfgang Britz & Roberto Roson, 2018. "Exploring Long Run Structural Change with a Dynamic General Equilibrium Model," Working Papers 2018: 12, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    8. Wiesław Dębski & Bartosz Świderski, 2016. "An Allocation Analysis of Polish Household Savings Invested in Financial Assets, 2003 – 2014," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 10(2), June.
    9. Nestor Gandelman, "undated". "A comparison of saving rates: micro evidence from sixteen Latin American andCaribbean countries," Documentos de Investigación 101, Universidad ORT Uruguay. Facultad de Administración y Ciencias Sociales.
    10. Yoichi Matsubayashi & Takao Fujii, 2012. "Substitutability of Savings by Sectors: OECD Experiences," Discussion Papers 1215, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    11. Wolfgang Britz & Roberto Roson, 2019. "G-RDEM: A GTAP-Based Recursive Dynamic CGE Model for Long-Term Baseline Generation and Analysis," Journal of Global Economic Analysis, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, vol. 4(1), pages 50-96, June.
    12. Clovis Kerdrain & Isabell Koske & Isabelle Wanner, 2010. "The Impact of Structural Policies on Saving, Investment and Current Accounts," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 815, OECD Publishing.
    13. Néstor Gandelman, 2017. "Do the rich save more in Latin America?," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(1), pages 75-92, March.
    14. Fernando Alexandre & Luís Aguiar Conraria & Pedro Bação & Miguel Portela, 2011. "A Poupança em Portugal," GEMF Working Papers 2011-19, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Saving Rates; International Comparisons; Intergenerational Transfers; Borrowing Constraints;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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