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Do inequality and fiscal redistribution matter when credit bites back?

Author

Listed:
  • Michal Skara

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic)

  • Ladislava Issever Grochova

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic)

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between household debt and economic output in the context of income inequality, emphasizing the role of fiscal redistribution through personal taxes and social transfers. Based on an unbalanced panel dataset of 36 countries covering the period 1980–2023, the study employs panel local projection (LP) methods to analyze the dynamic effects of household debt on GDP growth, assessing how this effect is influenced by the degree of income redistribution achieved through the tax system and transfers. While existing research shows that household debt may initially stimulate economic activity, it constrains consumption and exacerbates downturns in the medium run, especially in economies with high inequality. The results suggest that fiscal redistribution dampens the negative effects of household debt associated with inequality, with the strongest mitigating impact observed at the seventh horizon after a debt shock, when debt-service burdens peak. The findings underline the importance of an effective system of fiscal redistribution – encompassing both personal taxes and transfers – in reducing the macroeconomic costs of household indebtedness and contributing to the debate on sustainable growth and inequality reduction.

Suggested Citation

  • Michal Skara & Ladislava Issever Grochova, 2025. "Do inequality and fiscal redistribution matter when credit bites back?," MENDELU Working Papers in Business and Economics 2025-108, Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:men:wpaper:108_2025
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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