United We Give, Divided We Keep: Intra-Couple Wealth Inequality and Inter vivos Gift Transfers

Do intra-household wealth gaps shape intergenerational giving? As inter vivos transfers become more common and wealth is increasingly individualized within households, understanding how intra-couple wealth gaps shape giving is crucial. Using unique panel data from the French Household Wealth Survey (2015–2021), which allows reconstructing individual-level wealth within couples, we examine whether gendered inequality in wealth ownership affect transfers to children. Our results show that egalitarian couples (where women hold 40–60%) are more likely to give, especially among the top 10%. In contrast, transfers are less frequent when one partner holds most of the wealth, regardless of gender. These patterns suggest that intra-household inequality (and not the gender of the wealth-holder) reduces the likelihood of giving, though unequal wealth often reflects diverging family histories. Our findings underscore the importance of accounting for within-household dynamics in understanding intergenerational transmission.